Unforgettable
by Agent Moonlight
Summary: "Yukine stared at the blue-eyed god in a tracksuit and tried to figure out where he had seen him before." AKA when Yukine loses his memories of Yato, misunderstandings occur, and the shinki ends up fleeing from his master. Now Yato has to find his missing kid and figure out how to get back his memories, but it's not going to be easy when Yukine doesn't trust him.
1. Chapter 1

Yukine felt his frustration mounting with every step. The cluster of pedestrians on the sidewalk, which he normally didn't mind, was suddenly suffocating to him because as much as he hated to admit it, he was lost. He walked without a destination in mind since he didn't recognize any of the streets or stores or people around him no matter how many times he wished to. His frustration wasn't abated by his physical detriments either. His feet ached, his jacket wasn't thick enough to fight off the chill, and there was a hole in his heart from how dearly he missed his master.

Whoever that was.

The fog overshadowing his memories had cleared up for the most part hours ago. He remembered Hiyori giving him her scarf, meeting Kofuku and Daikoku, Kazuma becoming his mentor, and Bishamon trying to kill them. However, he was stuck on the _them_. He remembered becoming a blessed regalia, knew he was hafuri, but could not conjure a single memory of the god -or goddess- he called his master.

The closest hint he had to his master's identity was the term "bakagami" because he had the strangest urge to mutter that term under his breath every time he tried to think of the god he served. Yet all that did was confuse him. He knew that couldn't be his master's name, it was a mere term, but it was all he had. Perhaps it came from a memory where his master had done something foolish, if so, Yukine was sad that the only scrap of memory he had of his master was a negative one. Especially since if he was a blessed regalia, surely his master was highly esteemed. Yukine perked up at the thought before he recalled the fact he lived at Kofuku's place. His brief spurt of energy sizzled out as he realized his master couldn't be that well-known if he had to mooch off the goddess' kindness and Yukine recalled having to work and earn his own money rather than receive wages from his god.

Yukine's shoulders slumped, and feeling weighed down by everything, he ducked into the nearest alleyway. He told himself he would only stay there until the crowds thinned out, but really he wasn't sure he would venture out again. His muscles and joints protested simply standing up, let alone continuing his aimless walking. Also he recalled hearing somewhere that a lost person should stay in one place rather than move around. Otherwise the people looking for you might never catch up. Well, assuming someone _was_ looking for him.

Yukine stared up into the rich blue, cloudless sky and hoped he would spot Bishamon and Kazuma hunting down ayakashi. Maybe even Hiyori running around with her pink tail waving at him. Even Kofuku summoning a vent of chaos would have been welcomed by the shinki at this rate. He stared for a long moment, hoping, but no one came.

"Why am I even out here?" Yukine leaned against the brick wall and held himself. The shinki recalled going to bed last night, only to sit up as something seemed to startle him. Then he had left his room, and for reasons he couldn't fathom, he recalled tiptoeing out of Kofuku's house without speaking a word to anybody. Had he even told his master he was leaving? Or had his master been with him on his nightly excursion? Perhaps he simply couldn't recall his god joining him just like he couldn't recall his master's identity.

However, Yukine didn't really believe his master had been with him because his master certainly wouldn't have left his hafuri in such a state. He had woken up on the hill by the cherry tree, at the time he had not recognized it as Suzuha's tree, in the darkness. With no memory of who he was or where he was, Yukine had reasonably freaked out. Instinctively he had fled because it was _dark_ and something screamed at him that the dark was dangerous, that darkness meant _death_ , and he hadn't been able to breathe he was so scared until he had tripped.

He had scrambled up only to see he was back on the streets of the city, an unfamiliar city at the time, but there was light glowing everywhere and that had been enough to calm him. Only in that moment of peace had Yukine finally recognized his situation and how he had amnesia. Quickly he had searched for a mirror or lake because he couldn't even recall the color of his own eyes. Soon though he spotted his reflection in a shop window, noticed the kanji letters on his chest, and his name Yukine had burst into his head. That had been the start of a dreadful headache. However, the pain was a small price to pay for his identity to be restored while his memories leaked in over the hours, and he initially saw no reason to complain.

Until he realized his master was noticeably absent in events the god or goddess -he was leaning towards god- had to have been present in. This included events such as the night he had been named Yukine, the fight with Bishamon, and many others.

Yukine sighed, rubbing a weary hand down his face. He wanted to know so dearly what his master looked like at the very least. He wanted to know the sound of their voice -was it gruff or soft?- and the times they had spent together. Though most of all he wanted to know if they were coming for him. Yukine _needed_ to know they cared.

Surely they did, or else Yukine would not have become a blessed regalia trying to protect them from Bishamon. However, if his master had been with him when he lost his memory, that left him wondering what had become of the god. Was his master hurt? Who or what had even attacked them?

Yukine's thoughts spun in circles as each question led to another question. Deciding that staying still was not helping, he strolled out the alleyway and rejoined the masses. He hoped walking would straighten out his thoughts, yet soon found his mind remained a tumultuous ocean of questions. Shaking his head, Yukine tried to focus on the facts, on what he did know.

He knew who his master wasn't. It wasn't Bishamon, Tenjin or Kofuku...and that was it. Yukine couldn't recall anything else except the fact he felt like his master was a god, not goddess, and was apparently a minor one or they wouldn't be living at Kofuku's place.

Yukine gripped the sleeves of his jacket to release his frustration, but let go when he heard the cloth rip. He lifted his arm and stared at the tear in the cloth, which had widened from the force of his grip. It wasn't too much of a lost, considering his jacket was already riddled with tears and holes. That and the blighted bite marks he had found on his person during his self-examination had led him to believe he had been in a fight last night. At first Yukine had even thought a head injury was the cause of his initial amnesia, however, he had examined his reflection in the water he had used to treat the blight and found no bruises or cuts on his head. He had even ran his fingers through his hair yet no blood had stained his hands. It had been hours since then, but still he had no idea what could have caused his memory loss.

"Y-Yukine?"

Then again maybe it didn't matter. He had already remembered everything else so maybe memories of his master were just taking a little longer to show up.

"Yukine?!"

Yes, surely he was worrying for nothing. He simply had to give it time and the memories of his god would come back like all the other ones had. After all, not all of his memories had come back yet, such as how he still couldn't recall why he had been by Suzuha's tree last night.

"Yukine!"

Also, he had no idea what left him banged up, unconscious, and amnesiac-

Hands gripped Yukine's shoulders and spun him around so fast he nearly tumbled into the street.

He stared at the blue-eyed god who appeared less than godly with that tracksuit, scruffy scarf, and overall disheveled appearance... Hm, maybe he was mistaken, there was no way this guy was a god. In fact, the only reason he didn't label this guy a homeless man was because he could see Yukine.

"Where have you been?" The guy shook him so hard his brain rattled against the sides of his skull. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I thought the worst, like my father had kidnapped you or Nora was torturing you type of worst! But here you are strolling around and ignoring me!" His head was spinning as the god went on his rant so fast that he could not comprehend any of it. "Where have you been all night? Why did you leave without telling anybody? Don't just stand there, tell me what happened!" The god was staring at him with such intensity that Yukine could no longer deny the guy had to be a god because his eyes were faintly glowing. Yet he couldn't be a very powerful one or the god wouldn't look so unkempt or be acting like such a madman.

The god frowned at his lack of response, though Yukine was just struggling to figure out what was going on, and suddenly gave the regalia a look over until his eyes landed on Yukine's jacket. "Hey, what happened to you?" The god reached out and brushed his fingers over the red stain -his dried blood- on his sleeve, but the second those fingers touched the untreated cut lying beneath the jacket, he flinched.

"Back off!" Yukine leapt away from the god's grasp, slapping his own hand over the wound to protect it from this weirdo.

The god stared at him with wide eyes and lips parted in shock, which was completely unwarranted because he was not the minor god running around and shaking shinki for no reason.

"I don't know who you think you are," Yukine ignored how the god's eyes expanded even more. "But it's not polite to invade people's personal space." He glared at the guy, who looked outright stunned by his proclamation -maybe no one had ever called him out on his intrusion of personal space- and he marched right past the god.

"Y-Yukine?"

He halted, heartbeat picking up speed because that was his name, and how did this guy know his name?! He spun back to see the god was still there, one arm reaching out to him, but the god wasn't moving and there was something vulnerable in his expression. Suddenly Yukine felt horrible, like he had committed a terrible crime, and maybe he had been a bit too harsh with his words-

The god was in his face in the blink of an eye and sweaty palms grasped his shoulders hard as the god brought his face down to his level. "Tell me you're joking." His voice was frigid, and gone was the warmth and casualness he had learned to expect from the minor god in the few minutes he knew him. Now those eyes, once light and playful, were dark and something dangerous lurked within their depths. He knew that and it scared him so bad he couldn't speak, his mouth had gone dry, and he didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to be anywhere but here!

Before Yukine knew what he was doing, he had pulled himself away from the god and made a halberd sign. "Borderline!" He threw the attack and a flash of surprise broke through the god's blank mask.

Yet the god recovered in time to dodge the borderline, jumping over it, but Yukine did not care to see more of the god's agility. The shinki fled down the sidewalk and headed straight towards the most crowded area he could find.

"Wait!"

He ran all the more faster when he heard that god shouting and sensed he was being followed. Thus he dove into the crowds, breaking through groups of friends and couples, and ignoring the god's calls until they faded under the ruckus of people and traffic on the streets. Yet Yukine's heart was thumping and his breathing was so harsh he decided to hide in a nearby furniture store before he had a full-blown anxiety attack. He practically collapsed behind the sofa chair displayed in the shop window, breathing as deeply as he could in the near empty store, and trying his best to lower his ridiculously high heartbeat. He didn't know why he was on the verge of a panic attack, but seeing that god and hearing him say his name had disturbed him greatly.

"Yukineeeee!"

The muffled yell made him jump so hard he bumped into the chair and it tipped forward before he caught the arm and slammed it back down. The cashier looked up at the sound, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary so went on with his business while Yukine panicked.

He could hear someone running outside and knew that crazy god was out there, looking for him, and he didn't want to find out what would happen to him if he were caught. Terrified, Yukine whispered a desperate wish that the god would not come into the store and secretly hoped his master would hear the wish and come save him from the raging god outside.

He didn't want to be caught. He wanted to go home and see his friends. Most of all, he wanted to find his master. He may have been unable to remember the slightest detail about his master, but he knew he needed to find them. Whoever they were, they had left a gaping hole in Yukine's heart and mind, and his heart ached far more than his growling stomach did because he was alone and he knew something was terribly wrong with him and he needed help. Where was his master? Was he looking for him? He hadn't just...abandoned Yukine...right?

The stomping footsteps had long since passed the store, and though he heard the faintest calls of his name, Yukine decided he was in the clear. He peeked over the sofa chair's side and spotted a distant image of black hair and a tracksuit fading into the crowds across the street.

Yukine got up and sighed in relief. He would wait a couple of minutes just to make sure, but it seemed he was safe from that lunatic. However, that still left him with his initial problem. He needed to find a way home and somehow jog his memory so he could figure out who his master was.

Because he had been so successful earlier, right?

Yukine's knees buckled and he gave in and collapsed into the nearest couch. He ran a hand down his face because he was back to square one. He still needed to find a way back to Kofuku's place or maybe even Hiyori's house, he needed to get his memory back, and most all he needed to find his master.

Yukine's frustration and despair barreled into him and suddenly tears were welling up on the edges of his eyes. He wasn't some child who couldn't take care of himself, but he sure felt like one as he sat here alone. He wanted to believe everything would be alright. That the memories would come back, he'd go home, and he and his master would laugh about this over breakfast -assuming they did that sort of thing. Yet Yukine had woken up injured and alone, and it was possible his night hadn't started out that way, but his master may have been with him. If so, his master may have also been attacked and injured.

He rolled up his sleeves and examined the bite marks on his arm and a voice in his head said "wolf ayakashi", but he didn't know why. Frustration reaching a peek, Yukine threw himself up, marched over to the front, and flung open the shop door because he needed to do something because sitting around wasn't helping!

"Yukine!"

His head shot up and he saw that god staring at him from across the street and he had been _stupid stupid stupid_ for thinking him gone!

"Wait, don't!"

He fled back into the crowds, but that sweaty hand -what was up with this guy's sweat glands?- caught his jacket collar and yanked him out.

"Let me go!" Yukine threw his hands back to pull his collar free, but the god quickly dragged him into an alleyway. Then released him so abruptly his back fell against the wall.

Yukine regained his bearings yet could not release a borderline before the god had pinned his arms against the wall. The hold aggravated his bruised and bite marks, making him hiss, and the grip instantly loosened, but remained firm.

"Yukine," Blue eyes bored into his, the god's face was merely a couple inches away, and Yukine squirmed to get away because those eyes resonated uncomfortably with his soul. "Do you really not remember me?"

"I already said I don't know who you are!" He jerked to the side, but nothing he did would dislodge those sweaty hands. He also found he could not look away from the god, those glowing eyes and the black pupils slitted within them. They were terrifying and awe-inspiring because it meant he had underestimated this god. Who knew what he would do to Yukine, and the shinki started shaking at the thought that no one would even know what had happened to him. His poor master would sense his death without ever knowing what had happened to his hafuri.

The god gained a broken and lost expression and his eyes became shards of blue glass. Yukine stiffened because every line on the god's face went towards expressing his utter despair. "You're...scared of me?" The minor god released him and slumped over while clutching at his heart. Yukine could not understand why it hurt him to see the god in such great turmoil.

However, before he could figure out whether to run or sympathize with the guy, the god was in his face again. "Please..." The harsh whisper that was his voice shook Yukine to the core and the glassy sheen over those blue eyes made him nauseous. "Try to remember. It's me...it's _me_ , Yukine."

He stared at the god, at the mad desperation in his eyes, and his body shook because he could not ignore the blatant cry for help. Thus he looked the god over, from top to bottom he took great care to assess what he saw. That black hair, blue eyes, scruffy scarf, brown boots, and tracksuit. He rolled his eyes back up to the god's eyes and blue met orange. Neither one spoke a word as Yukine narrowed his eyes because that blue...he had...he had seen those blue eyes befor-

Sweltering heat burned his back and chest and Yukine screamed because it hurt so terribly. He collapsed onto his knees with a wail tearing out his throat while his head was sliced apart and put back together over and over again. He whimpered even as the pain left him entirely, but when he saw a hand reach out towards him and noticed the god was sprawled on the ground with one hand clutching at his heart, Yukine did not care.

He didn't know how the god had attacked him, but it had hurt so badly and his instincts had been right, this god was dangerous. Yukine stumbled up into a run that probably resembled a drunken stagger since his pounding headache ruined any semblance of coordination he had.

"Yukine!"

The call went unanswered as he fled.

* * *

 **Aw, don't run, Yukine! Your master is right there, you just don't know it! ...Yeah, I don't know why I'm reacting like it's not my fault this misunderstanding occurred XD**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this little prologue. I'm estimating the whole fanfic to be about four chapters long, but we'll see. Expect the next chapter up in about a week.**

 **Bye now!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so sorry for taking two weeks to update, but you can blame the two presentations I had and the corresponding essays I had to write for stealing my time away from this fic :/**

 **Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! I honestly wasn't expecting so many so thanks for the surprise :D**

 **Shishi - Nice to see you again!**

 **Guest - Lol, exactly! Yato getting intense like that with someone who doesn't know him would freak anyone out. Funny enough, I did base Yukine's frustration on my own frustration when I got lost once.**

* * *

The bitter cold burned Yukine's lungs as he heaved in oxygen, but it was nothing compared to his migraine. The pain in his head overshadowed everything and he had no idea how he was still moving because it was agonizing. He stumbled his way through the masses on the sidewalk and kept bumping into people, but couldn't avoid them because his vision was tilted by the dizzying effects of the migraine. His head pained him so terribly and he wanted it to stop, but his wish was outright dismissed as he smacked into a pole or a tree -all he knew was that it was hard and tall- and the pain became too much to bear. He collapsed onto his side, reopening several of his wounds, and clutched at his head. Yet the migraine worsened.

 _Stop, stop, stop!_ He begged his brain as if it was its own entity separate from himself and maybe it was that now, because it was showing him images he didn't recognize.

A snippet of an ayakashi wolf with a mask on its face, stars in the black sky, dark brown eyes devoid of life, narrowed red eyes, and then the bright blue of that god's eyes.

Yukine screamed as he saw those blue eyes in his mind's eye. They were blue lasers drilling into his brain matter like a hot poker. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt so much!

Yukine could not scream anymore because he had no more to give and he was grateful when exhaustion started to take its toll and dark spots entered his vision. As the pain took its time to fade away those snippets of memories slipped out of Yukine's mind. A part of him recognized those memories as important and reached for them, but it was like grasping water. The memories slipped through the cracks between his fingers until there was but one scrap left.

 _"Yaboku."_

Consciousness fled him.

When Yukine woke up there was a phantom pain in his head and he remained immobile for a long moment because he was terrified the slightest twitch would give the migraine an excuse to flare up again. However, he was distracted from this fear once his ears picked up on what had awakened him. There was a muffled stream of noises that resembled human speech coming from afar. His consciousness latched onto the sound and then the feeling as well once a light pressure landed on his shoulder and the muffled voice sounded louder.

Wanting to know who was out there, he peeked open one eye and squinted against the dying light of the orange orb -the sun- setting in the horizon. Though his vision was obscured by blades of yellow grass swaying in the breeze, which helped protect his eyesight as he blinked open both eyes. He shuddered as the sensation of cold suddenly registered and he realized he was practically a human icicle lying on the frost-covered grass. The temperature had dropped in the last hour -or however long he had been unconscious- and the warmest part of him was the skin beneath the hand on his shoulder.

"Can you hear me?"

The speech, now clear, startled him, and if his bones weren't solid ice, he might have jumped. Instead he merely shivered again, too drained from that blue-eyed god's attack to do more than stare into the sunset.

"Are you awake?"

Hope fluttered in his heart because the voice was familiar, maybe still muffled and thus unrecognizable, but familiar. Yukine used the hope to give him the strength to roll over onto his back. Green eyes peered down at him from behind black glasses and he stared at Kazuma in a daze before he shot up. Only Kazuma's quick reflexes saved them from a head collision, however, it did not stop Yukine from tossing his arms around the regalia as joy fully rejuvenated his energy.

"Kazuma!" Yukine ignored how his dizziness made the world spin while he squeezed the older shinki because finally, finally he had found someone! He had spent all night and day searching for the slightest hint of something familiar and now he had found someone. Now he could go home!

"Y-Yukine?"

Kazuma's surprised gasp was like a slap to the face and Yukine's eyes widened because he was _hugging_ Kazuma and his face burned before he hastily released his companion. "S-Sorry!" He tried to pull away from the shinki because it was mortifying for him and Kazuma must have felt the same way based on the light pink dusting his cheeks, however, the world was spinning and he lost his balance.

Kazuma caught his back before he tipped over and helped him sit up, now staring at him in thinly concealed concern. "Are you alright?" The older shinki grabbed his hand and stood up from his crouch while helping Yukine up into a wobbly stand. "Besides the memory loss?"

Yukine did not register what Kazuma said at first. He was busy taking in his surroundings and the fact he was on a flat field that seemed to be for sports activities. He was dismayed yet resigned to see he didn't recognize this place. However, he recalled Kazuma's question and whipped his head over to the shinki in surprise. "How did you know that?"

Kazuma gained a grim expression. "Because your master has been calling nonstop for the past hour." A hint of irritation entered his tone, but Yukine didn't notice this as Kazuma's words repeated in his head like a song on loop.

"My master...?" His heart pumped heavy and loud inside his chest while renewed hope brightened his eyes. "He's looking for me?" He smiled wide because his master was alright and had been looking for him all along.

Kazuma looked at him oddly and frowned. "You really don't remember him."

Yukine was in such a heavy state of bliss that the fact that Kazuma knew something only Yukine should know did not seem off to him. "I did forget him, but he didn't forget me!" He beamed up at the sky because that had been what truly plagued Yukine for all these hours. He was scared that he had been forgotten. The way no normal human really saw him as he drifted through the streets, how lonely Yukine had felt even among the crowds, and how he himself had lost memories he never thought he would forget. Suddenly memories had seemed like such fragile things and he had been terrified that if he could so easily forget, maybe everyone -even his god- had forgotten him.

"I already called him," Kazuma interrupted his stream of happy thoughts, yet it became a welcomed intrusion as this new information only raised his positive mood. "He is on his way, but you need to know Yato is-"

"Really?! He's coming?!" Yukine was tempted to hug Kazuma again simply from the sheer joy he was feeling, but didn't want another awkward encounter to ruin this moment. Hug or no hug, however, everything was perfect now. He was no longer lost, alone or forgotten and soon his master would be here to take him home.

"-you listening?" Kazuma grasped his shoulders and he realized he had tuned out whatever he said.

The older hafuri realized this too and frowned. "Yukine, I know you have forgotten, but the god you encountered in the alleyway-"

Yukine's eyes widened because there was no way Kazuma could know about that, it had only been him and that crazy god there, so how did he know?

A flash occurred a short distance behind Kazuma and his heart soared high because that must have been his master arriving. He pulled away from Kazuma and went around the startled regalia, but his limbs locked so hard he nearly tripped from the abruptness when he saw the god - _that_ god- a short distance away. Despair crushed his heart in its hands and left him breathless because he was going to be attacked again and the mere thought of that pain petrified him. Kazuma said something, but Yukine knew he had no idea how dangerous this god was so quickly stepped in front of the older shinki before he could suffer like Yukine had.

"Borderline!" He swung his hand out and aimed at the god's chest. Kazuma shouted something in alarm, but Yukine was solely focused on the god who instantly flipped over his borderline and landed in a crouch.

Yukine was taken aback by the shocking display of speed and observed the god merely straightened up because something inside him ordered him not to turn away. There was something nagging him, the faintest sensation of a connection, as he took in the appearance of this god. However, when Yukine tried to ponder why he felt connected to this god his chest and back started heating up and he realized the god was using the same horrible attack from before. He raised a hand to retaliate because he refused to go through that again.

"Yukine, please," The god reached out towards the shinki with that same heartbroken expression, and despite himself, Yukine found himself hesitating to strike. "I know you don't remember me," The god took a step forward and instinct took over so he began throwing out his arm.

"Restraint!"

Yukine choked as his body halted against his will and he was left staring at the god, but could not move a single muscle. The god surprisingly appeared to be as shocked as he was, but recovered quickly and suddenly ran up to him. Yukine wanted to scream so badly because the god was closing in on him and he felt the heat on his chest and back become an irritant that he knew would soon be agonizing pain. No, please, don't do this to him. Not again, please!

The god stopped a few feet away, expression one of shock that soon became concern. "Yukine?"

What had he done to deserve such false concern? As if this god wasn't the source of the heat on his chest and back or the beginnings of pain thrumming in his cranium. Why was all of this happening?

He couldn't understand why Kazuma had done this to him and the betrayal stung, yet more than anything Yukine was terrified. The god was looking at him with increasingly wide eyes and his orange eyes met his blue and a headache ruptured his brain when an image started forming in his head and someone please help!

"Let him go!" The god's eyes mercifully shifted away to zero in on who he assumed was Kazuma, and the headache faded as the mental image faded. However, he was not assured by this. It only meant Kazuma was a potential target now, and betrayal or not, Yukine did not wish for Kazuma to endure the pain he had went though.

"He will just attack you again." Kazuma's voice came from somewhere nearby, but the erratic beat of his heart drowned out all sounds except his own thoughts. The god was still far too close for comfort even if he wasn't attacking now, and he didn't understand anything. It was like a dream turned nightmare. Kazuma had restrained him, the god wasn't attacking either of them, and if he didn't know any better he would say the two were in league together. However, it was possible this god hadn't attacked Kazuma because he couldn't. Maybe he only had the power or simply the desire to hurt Yukine. Perhaps that was why he knew Yukine's name, this deranged god had it out for him and his master and maybe that was why he seemed so familiar. And where was his master? Wasn't he on his way?

"I don't care if he attacks me, he's..." The god regarded him again with sad dark eyes that Yukine didn't understand because the god almost looked hurt and his head was bowed as if there was a burden weighing it down. "He's terrified of me."

Their eyes met and Yukine literally couldn't turn aside. There was a connection between them and every cell in his body vibrated with energy. Where did he know this god-

A flash of a smile beneath warm blue eyes erupted in his head, and pain bloomed in his cranium while his back and chest burned. Yukine only saw the god's mouth move rapidly before he was consumed by a vortex of torment and he wondered if this would kill him because it was too much _too much_! Suddenly he fell and his inner screaming became audible as he collapsed into the soft flesh of someone's arms. His back arched against his will and he would have pitied whoever was holding him because his screams had to be hurting someone's ears, yet nothing mattered except his own misery.

"Yukine!"

Hands tried to restrain him, but the contact only made what felt like inflamed wounds on his back and chest hurt worse. He tried to roll away, but the hands holding him were firm.

"What's wrong with-!"

He couldn't quite make out the words even as the pain mercifully receded from his body and his screaming died down into whimpering because his brain was still searing with electricity. There was a lingering image in his head, that god smiling over him with his blue eyes alight with emotion and Yukine felt happy-

Another painful eruption broke out in his head and he sucked in air sharply to hold in the scream.

"...help him!"

"I don't...on his back."

Yukine had no energy to fight as he was turned over and if eyes weren't already clenched shut, his vision would undoubtedly have dark stops because as the migraine faded his strength dwindled as well.

"Is that..."

"...looks like a second name."

"-named him?"

Yukine was on the threshold of fainting yet was still rational enough to understand the claim that he had a second name and it couldn't be right, he was a hafuri and loyal to one god, and how dare anyone say otherwise! "I'm not a Nora!" He attempted to shout, however, his voice was inaudible even to himself and he doubted he was heard as he fainted once more.

* * *

Yukine woke up much like he had earlier, except he became aware of his surroundings much faster because his body was not frozen solid. In fact he was warm with thick, fuzzy cotton swaddled around him -a blanket?- and arms cradling his body against a familiar chest. The voices speaking above him were indecipherable mummers and he could almost believe they were trying to lull him back to sleep because their voices were so soft. This all changed though when he started to understand them.

"Then what is it? If it's not another name, I don't-"

That was the god, he recognized his voice, he was still here, and Yukine was _trapped_ within his grasp. The body below him tensed, but could do no more before Yukine flung himself up with eyes flying open. He quickly saw blue eyes staring straight at him and jerked away, which led to him tumbling into the ground.

"Yukine!" Kazuma's sharp tone from somewhere behind him was the only reason Yukine halted his mad scramble away from the god, which hadn't been working anyway since his feet were trapped in the confines of the blanket.

"Why would you let him in here?! He'll attack us again!" Yukine did not look away from the god, though he was addressing Kazuma, so he noticed how the god pulled back like he had been struck. Though he was outright stunned when the god slumped over like a wilted plant soon after.

"It's okay, I'll wait in the hall." He immediately left the room and the door clicked shut behind him. Yukine gaped, blinking rapidly because nothing made sense. That god had attacked him twice and now he was just leaving? Without trying anything?

"What is going on?" Yukine tugged at his hair as the frustration welled up in him and overflowed.

"I can explain that in a second," Yukine turned back to the green-eyed regalia who was standing near what appeared to be a hospital bed. "But first, I think you would be more comfortable up here than on the floor." He extended his hand, but Yukine hesitated while narrowing his eyes because Kazuma had restrained -perhaps betrayed- him earlier. However, Yukine noticed how Kazuma wasn't quite making eye contact so much as looking pass him and there was a tension underlying his features that hadn't been there earlier. Did the shinki feel guilty? Or realized his mistake at least?

Yukine grasped his hand, deciding answers would come faster if he was cooperative, and Kazuma assisted him up before leading him to sit on the soft bed right as his knees started to wobble.

"Do you feel better?" The older regalia stood before him and gave him a quick look over. Yukine nearly questioned the action until he realized he felt off and looked down to see his jacket had been removed and his t-shirt didn't cover up the white bandages wrapped all over his arms. His shoes and socks had also been removed and there was white peeking out from under his pants so he figured his legs had been given similar treatment. Looking up, Yukine confirmed this really was a hospital once it hit him that he had seen this place before.

"Isn't this Hiyori's hospital?" Technically it was her parents', Yukine thought, but Kazuma nodded anyway. Thus his earlier suspicion of Kazuma ebbed because his being here implied Kazuma had talked to Hiyori and he knew Hiyori wouldn't betray him so maybe he was missing something here. He recalled the fact that the blue-eyed god was waiting right outside the hospital room and it struck him that he had to be missing quite a big something. His confusion wasn't helped by the fact his memories were still a mess and he couldn't picture his master even now after hours- His train of thought was derailed when he spotted sunlight streaming in through the window because hadn't the sun been setting just a hour ago? Exactly how long had he been out?

"All night, about twelve hours." Kazuma answered because apparently he had voiced his thoughts aloud.

"Wait, did you say twelve hours?" His eyes widened because he never knew he was capable of sleeping for so long. Or had that god attacked him with a stronger mental attack?

"I thought it best to keep you sedated until we could figure out what caused your memory loss, considering how defensive you were acting."

"Defensive?" Yukine scowled and crossed his arms in indignation. "I was trying to protect you from that god! Until you used restraint on me." He deflated a little, not over the potential betrayal.

Kazuma's lips drew into a line. "Why would you need to protect me from that god?" His tone conveyed an ounce of mirth like the idea of Yukine protecting him was ridiculous, but mainly there was serious curiosity.

Yukine's scowl deepened. "Because he kept attacking me! That's why I was knocked out! Every time I see him, my head hurts so bad and my chest," He placed his fingers over the exact spot where the burning sensation began and noted it was where his name was by his collarbone. "And back feel like they're burning." Recognition flashed on Kazuma's face, but he was so glad to finally tell someone of his misery that he didn't care to question it. "So why wouldn't I need to defend myself?"

Kazuma frowned, allowing the question to hang in the air as he mulled this over, before deciding to reply. "Because it wasn't that god who inflicted that pain onto you, at least not intentionally." His eyes hardened to convey total seriousness. "He would never hurt you."

"What?" He blinked.

Kazuma watched him carefully, body tensing as he braced himself for perhaps a physical backlash. "That god is your master."

Yukine did not -could not- move as the words struck him like a meteor hitting land. He started quaking uncontrollably and his stomach churned because that god couldn't be his master, he had attacked him and chased him and...

Yukine thought hard about his every encounter with that god and the glaring oddities surrounding them suddenly made too much sense. That god noticed how scared he had been, and maybe Yukine was an open book, but if he was his god then he could have actually sensed Yukine's terror. Plus that god had never given any warning prior to attacking him, no change of stance or expression, but rather always looked so startled and concerned.

Oh.

Yukine had the urge to slap himself because that god truly was his master, and he had been so blind. That god was the first person to recognize him and had appeared right after Kazuma said his master was on his way, which should have been a dead giveaway if Yukine hadn't been so stupid. No wonder Kazuma had restrained him, he had been stopping Yukine from making the idiotic mistake of attacking his own master - _stupid, stupid, stupid_ him!

Though the anger didn't last long and guilt was swift to replace it because what type of hafuri attacked his own master? Ran from him? Told him to his face that he didn't remember him? His master was clearly a minor god, and being forgotten was such a serious fear for minor gods, and Yukine had shoved that in his master's face!

He was on the verge of making himself sick with guilt when Kazuma placed a steadying hand on his shoulder. He sent him a look of such understanding despite the fact Yukine was certain he had never done such terrible things to Bishamon. "Don't blame yourself. You didn't ask for a case of amnesia."

Yukine was appeased by that fact, but now worry was worming its way into his heart. "But then who did? Who made me forget my own master?" It also troubled him to think there was someone with the power to take a shinki's memories away. Not just anyone could do that after all.

"You've only forgotten about your god? No other memories seem to be missing?"

He shook his head and Kazuma hummed in thought. "I figured, but needed to make sure."

"Figured what?" Yukine had a bit of bite in his tone because he was frustrated and wanted to know what was going on already.

"This was clearly a planned attack on you and your god. Your injuries and your semi-amnesiac state attest to that. However, I'm not sure who did this to you and I don't entirely understand how they've done this."

Yukine frowned because he sort of already knew his amnesia was no accident. The fact only specific memories of his god were missing really gave that away, but he had no idea who hated his master enough to do such a thing. Then again, he hadn't even recognized his own god so how could he expect to recognize their enemies? Did his master even have enemies? His eyes shifted to stare at the brown door and he wondered if that god- No, his master was staring back at him behind the door and his insides twisted at the thought.

"Do you remember anything about last night? When you were attacked?"

He did not turn away from the door, but replied. "Not really. I just remember sneaking out Kofuku's place, I don't remember why, and then I woke up by Suzuha's tree with no memories of my master."

Kazuma made another humming sound, but then silenced reigned between the two. Yukine had nothing to say as he went over everything that he'd learned in his head. On the bright side, he was no longer lost. On the downside, he attacked his own master twice and made a complete fool of himself. It was also clear that someone purposely caused this mess and inflicted misery on him every time he so much as looked at his master for too long.

"Wait," Yukine's whisper shattered the contemplative silence. "If that god-I mean my master didn't cause that pain, what did?"

Kazuma blinked into awareness and a tight frown made its appearance on his face. "You may not see it, but right here," He suddenly placed his finger tips on Yukine's back and he automatically turned his head in an attempt to see where he was touching. "There is what looks like a second name." He spotted the barest smudge of red on his shoulder beneath Kazuma's fingertips and horror overtook him.

"I'm a nora?" He couldn't speak above a whisper because the amnesia and everything that came with it was bad enough without the thought that some god not only attacked him but named him against his will.

"No," The older shinki sliced through his despair. "The name is not actually a second name because it still reads as 'Yuki'."

Yukine blinked wide eyes as his brain shut down because that made absolutely no sense. That was unheard of, right?

Kazuma's forehead scrunched up to reveal he was at least mildly frustrated too. "We don't understand how, but from what we can tell, this second name is acting as a seal to your memories of your master. It creates a backlash whenever this seal starts to break."

"So every time I try to remember my god that second name will sting me?" It felt a lot worse than a mere sting, but he didn't have the words to describe the agony it put him through. "And I guess no one knows how to fix this?"

Kazuma shook his head. "I'm still researching it, and so are others, but so far there is nothing written on this subject."

Yukine looked away for a second, frowning. "Then what should I do? What can I do?" He resented how utterly lost he sounded despite how his tone matched his feelings exactly.

"For now," Kazuma softened his features perhaps to put him at ease. "Maybe you should get reacquainted with your master."

Yukine looked over to the door and a thread of nervousness mixed with the hope budding inside him. He didn't know how to feel about all this, which was ironic considering how desperate he had been to find his master, and now that he had, he was hesitant to see him. Yukine knew it was illogical, but some part of him still didn't believe that blue-eyed god in a tracksuit was actually his master. However, another part of him had been shouting all along that he had a connection to this god and was once again telling him that truly was his master out in the hall. Yes, he could accept that, it felt right to accept it. His tension died away once he did and his shoulders relaxed from the bunched up position he had unknowingly placed them in.

"Okay." Yukine nodded and when Kazuma stepped away, he dropped his gaze to the floor as he prepared himself. He heard the older shinki speak softly to someone for nearly a minute before he heard a new set of steps enter the room. Only once the steps quieted and he heard the door shut did Yukine look up.

The god was standing there, hands wringing together nervously and blue eyes trained on the wall far away from him. Suddenly Yukine saw the god, really saw him, and without his bias it was so obvious how exhausted the god looked. His god reeked with despair with his hair strands hanging limply in his face and his overall haggard appearance told the story of a god who had not gotten a break in a long time. Undoubtedly the god was still hurting from Yukine's earlier rejections and he was such a horrible hafuri, wasn't he?

"Don't feel guilty." A quiet mummer broke out from the god's lips and those blue orbs slid over to him. "I'm the one that scared you, that made you run away." His tone was flat, unnaturally so, and gave nothing away.

Yukine did not know how to respond because he was clueless to how this god would react if he argued or agreed. Thus he decided to ignore the topic and move on. "What's your name?"

The god was shocked, but seemed to remember his amnesia and then simply looked tired and dejected. "It's Yato." A terse smile flashed and his blue eyes lit up. "Or Drippy or Bakagami, depending on what you feel like calling me."

The term _bakagami_ struck him like a baseball bat to the chest and it was as if the last piece of a puzzle had finally clicked in place. The shinki practically fell off the bed without thinking because this really was his master, his master was here, Yato had found him, and he was going home. Yukine wrapped his arms around the thin middle of the Yato god before either of them could brace themselves, yet it wasn't long before thin arms hugged him back.

"I missed you!" The happy sob broke out and tears pooled yet didn't fall from his eyes as he squeezed his god, his dear master!

"I missed you too." Yato hugged him back, but his voice was hollow. Yukine stiffened not because he doubted Yato's sincerity, but because it was clear that this was not the reunion either of them had imagined. Master had found hafuri, but without Yukine's memories, the reunion was a shadow of what it should be and both of them knew it.

* * *

Yukine didn't feel comfortable leaving with Yato and had a feeling that his master sensed that because he was keeping a respectable distance away even as they sat across from each other. However, Kazuma needed to return to Bishamon, Hiyori was at school, and Yukine was starving. Thus he didn't protest when Yato teleported them to a diner. They had sat down by a window -Yukine had a feeling this was on purpose so he wouldn't feel trapped- and he hated that his master felt obligated to do this for him. Especially since he wasn't certain his master could afford this.

"Can't we eat at Kofuku's place?" Yukine timidly urged the god, who had been staring out the window.

Yato blinked at him, thankfully not angered by the interruption, which Yukine had been slightly worried about. "Kofuku and Daikoku aren't home. Besides, aren't you hungry?"

"Not really-" Yukine was betrayed by his own stomach that chose to growl rather loudly at this moment. His cheeks burned and he looked away when a light chuckle escaped from Yato.

"It's okay, kid!" Yato grinned wide at him and Yukine marveled at the look because he god hadn't smiled like this in all the time Yukine could remember. "You eat like a ravenous wolf every morning, so I'm not surprised you're this hungry after going a whole day without food."

"But you can't afford this!" Yukine didn't mean to verbalize the words and grew nervous when Yato merely stared at him with a jaw-slacked expression.

Until the god slumped over to hold his face in his hand. "Really kid? Of all the things you remember, it's the fact I'm broke that sticks out to you?" It was clearly a joke, Yato was smiling, yet Yukine felt bad.

"I'm sorry." He frowned, coiling an arm around his stomach in an attempt to keep it quiet.

Yato hastily waved him down. "It's fine, Yukine, really." He turned back to the window and Yukine had a feeling it wasn't fine, it really wasn't. If only he could remember, then everything would be okay again!

Yato grimaced and his hand reached towards his chest before dropping away. Yukine figured out very quickly that his guilt was plaguing his master so did his best to stuff the guilt into the deepest corner of his mind as Yato turned to him. They stared at each other, unspoken words forming a barrier between them, and Yukine longed to tear down the wall, but had no idea how to.

"Are you going to use that?" Yato abruptly stared down at the table and Yukine followed his gaze to see the coloring page and crayons the waitress had left for him. He was a little miffed to see it -he was no child- but hadn't stopped the waitress earlier since he had been too caught up in examining his discomfort of being near Yato.

"No." Yukine wondered why Yato was asking and considered maybe he used to draw a lot before he lost his memories. However, he was surprised when the god slid the paper over to himself and turned it onto its blank side. Then he picked up a black crayon and began to sketch. Yukine watched him in silence, mystified by the light strokes that soon became faces and bodies on the page.

"Do you remember the time Hiyori lost her memory of me?" Yato spoke with ease, but Yukine flinched. He did indeed recall the event, which made this situation all the more worst because this was the second time his god had to endure someone forgetting him.

"Yes," He replied aloud because Yato had not looked up from his sketching. "Hiyori forgot me too and I felt really lonely. I was crying by this lake and there was..." A blurry figure appeared at his side in the memory and he mentally reached towards it. "Someone comforting me- Ah!" He grasped his head as a needle stabbed into his brain and he jerked away from the memory to escape the pain.

"Yukine!" Yato stood, but Yukine released his head and waved him down because the pain was already gone.

Yato retook his seat, but the concern shone in his stormy ocean eyes. "What happened?"

"I think I was starting to remember you." Yukine felt his heart break when a combination of joy and despair warred on Yato's face.

Soon though, the god simply looked worried. "Try not to. I know it hurts you." Yato spoke airily yet Yukine knew those had to be some of the hardest words Yato had ever uttered. He could tell Yato was hurting no matter how well the god hid it because he may have forgotten his master, but his brain remembered how to read Yato. The way the god's fingers curled rigidly around the crayon, which was a nub at this point, and how he smiled even when there was nothing but despair in those eyes. Yato was hurting so, so much, and there was nothing either of them could do to ease his pain.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up," Yato went back to sketching though briefly raised a hand to wave at their surroundings. "This situation just sort of reminded me of that time."

"I'm sorry, Yato." Yukine couldn't help except feel guilty because he brought his master pain simply by being here. For the shinki was here, but at the same time he wasn't. He wasn't the Yukine his master remembered and Yato was a stranger to his hafuri.

"Aw, kid, lighten up!" Yato cheered suddenly, reaching over to pet his head. The hand retreated a second later, but Yukine still felt a lump forming in his throat because he remembered that. That hand, slightly damp and so gentle, had been on his head before and his body knew that even if his brain had forgotten.

The ring of a phone interrupted the moment, however, and Yato looked down at his cellphone on the table. "I gotta take this." He rose and hurried away before Yukine could tell him there was no need to leave for a simple phone call. Sighing, Yukine's eyes fell and landed on the paper Yato had sketched all over. Curious, he slid the sketch to his side of the table and turned it so it wasn't upside down.

He gasped as he took in the sight of a very accurate portrait of himself and Yato. There were three sketches in total. One where he was sleeping and looked more peaceful than he currently felt. Another in the middle of Yato laughing while Yukine scowled at him and seemed to be shouting at the god. He idly wondered if he was a bit of brat to his master, but all thoughts fled him when he saw the small sketch in the corner of the paper.

Yato was hugging his kid and the Yukine in the sketch looked irritated, but his eyes were bright and his scowl was more of a small smile. Master and shinki seemed to be embracing in some sort of reunion and that told him that at least the last sketch was imagined and not a portrait of the past. It had to be fiction because he and Yato were together again, but not reunited, not like they should be, and they wouldn't be until Yukine got his memory back.

Yukine held in the emotional tidal wave that sought to overtake him. It was messed up and wrong, this entire situation was horrible, and it made him so angry to know this was deliberate. Someone had caused this, someone had hurt him, but worst of all they had hurt his master!

Yukine shuddered as a chill rolled down his spine and he turned to the window instinctively. Across the street from the diner he spotted a girl with dark brown eyes, devoid of emotion, staring at him. He couldn't see her that well as people walked in front of her, but before she disappeared within the masses, he thought he saw her lips tilted in a smirk.

* * *

 **Wow, that took forever to write and edit! I hope this longer chapter makes up for the two week wait! Next update should be in a week, and shouldn't be delayed this time since I'm off from school for most of this week :)**

 **See ya next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm having so much fun writing this story and I'm glad you guys are enjoying the read :D** **Special thanks to all you reviewers because every one of your reviews brings a smile to my face, and of course thanks for following and favoriting too!**

 **Shishi- Everyone should pity Yato, this fanfic is like his worst nightmare come to life, the poor guy. Lol those twelve hours were the highlight of Yato's day...until Yukine woke up.**

 **L- Thanks, that's really sweet of you to say! :3**

* * *

Yukine had already devoured his meal by the time Yato reentered the diner. When he saw his master returning, he hastily shoved the sketches he'd been admiring to Yato's side of the table since he had no idea whether he was meant to see them -the artwork seemed rather personal. However, the god's gaze was unfocused as he retook his seat across from him and he hardly seemed aware of his regalia. Yukine didn't know if this was normal behavior for his master, but based on what he had witnessed so far, this change troubled him.

"Were they calling for a job?" He tried to draw Yato out of his thoughts with an idle question.

"Huh?" Yato blinked like one waking from a vivid dream and Yukine wondered if it wasn't that the god was distracted so much as he was tired. Yato's skin was a shade paler than he recalled prior to his twelve hour nap and his blue eyes lacked the luster and intensity they once had. Perhaps his master had not slept a wink since his hafuri had gone missing yesterday morning. In that case, he was simultaneously warmed -his master cared!- and disturbed to find he was the cause of his master's exhaustion.

"Doesn't matter, we've got better things to do!" Yato smiled wide, and a little light brightened his eyes though the joy was mostly feigned. "Here, you'll need this."

Yukine leaned forward when Yato placed a small bag on the table and scooted it towards him. It seemed the god had left the diner and done some shopping without Yukine noticing, which explained why it had taken him so long to return. The shinki peeked into the bag and took in the sight of baby blue clothing. Curious, he reached in to grab the soft material and gasped at the feeling of thick, fluffy cotton between his fingertips. He gently tugged out the clothing and held it up to see it was a jacket in the exact style as the one he had been wearing.

"We had to toss out your old jacket because of all the holes and blood stains, and I know how much you loved that thing-"

"I did?" Yukine thought it over before recalling that he had seen his old jacket in a store window and proceeded to save his money for weeks before purchasing it while he and Hiyori were hanging out at the mall. "Oh, yeah." He nodded to himself, satisfied that he could properly remember loving his old jacket.

"You forgot?" Yato's eyebrows furrowed together, and Yukine would have lied to reassure him, however, he did not want to sting his master, thus he nodded. "So it wasn't just your memories of me they messed with, they scrambled all your memories?"

He nodded again. "At first I couldn't even remember my own name."

Something dark and ugly twisted Yato's face, but the emotion went away before Yukine could get concerned. It seemed his master was a rather emotional god, and his emotions ran deep. Though it was also possible that hurting Yukine was simply a trigger for the god, and that idea made him happier than it should.

"No wonder you were so scared all that time when I was looking for you, you must have been feeling so lost." Yato's sympathetic tone sizzled into a hiss and his eyes burned bright as they narrowed. "And they just left you to fend for yourself. You could have been attacked by an ayakashi and you were in no state to defend yourself, and they left you alone out there." His teeth clenched and in the light of early morning they gleamed predatorily. It suddenly occurred to Yukine that he was not the only one angered by his forced amnesia and the pain it was bringing them.

Though he hoped his master wouldn't remain angry because he wasn't sure how his god dealt with anger...and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. Yato's expression abruptly mellowed as his focus returned to Yukine, and the flash of guilt on the god's face told Yukine he had noticed the shinki's growing apprehension.

"Hey," Yato spoke in a lighter tone. "How about you try it on and then we head out?"

"Head where?" Yukine fought to keep his voice steady because he really didn't want to go anywhere except home, but he wasn't the one in charge. It was Yato's decision and he should obey his god... So why did blind obedience sound so wrong in his head? Hadn't their relationship always been this straight-forward?

Yato sent him a sunny smile that was surprisingly genuine. "We're going to Hiyori's school! She's worried about you and I promised I'd let her see you once you were awake." He suddenly ducked his head and grumbled so low Yukine wasn't certain he heard the next part correctly. "She threatened to hurt me if I didn't bring you over soon and she hits hard."

Yukine blinked, but soon a smile stretched across his lips. "Okay, I want to see her too!" He knew it had technically only been a couple of days since he saw the girl, but the duration felt so much longer after he had to deal with his amnesia and all the trouble that came with his condition.

"I knew you would say that!" Yato got up, and having already paid the bill, simply waited for Yukine to put on his new jacket. The regalia was happy to see the god was cheering up as they exited the diner, and he himself felt better at the news he would be seeing another one of his closest friends. However, he halted outside the doorway when he sensed a presence behind him.

"Who-" Yukine whipped around, but stopped short at the sight of that girl with those brown eyes. He could not find the breath to speak further as he took in the sight of all those names scattered across her body like fresh cuts marring her porcelain skin.

"Do you remember your master's name?" She asked in a monotone voice that perfectly matched her cool eyes.

"It's Y-Yato." He blurted out, still in a state of shock over the fact there was a nora covered in _many_ names talking to him. Also, he was distracted by the itch in the back of his brain that told him he should recognize this nora despite how he had no idea who this girl was.

"No, your _true_ master's name. Do you remember _his_ name?" There was almost a giggle in her smooth tone despite how seriously her question was posed to him.

Yukine wanted to ask what she meant, but heard Yato shouting his name and looked away to shout he was coming. Then he spun back to her, but already the girl -the Nora- had vanished. He stared at the vacant spot she had occupied before shaking off the encounter and running ahead to find Yato waiting for him at the crosswalk.

"What's the hold up, kid?" Yato scrutinized him as if he expected to find him bleeding -was his master always this overprotective or did his amnesiac state put him into a protective overdrive?

"Sorry, something startled me, but it was nothing." He purposely didn't divulge who that something was, and kept his eyes trained on the ground to show he did not want to discuss it. Honestly, he wasn't even sure how to describe such a strange encounter.

He bit his lip when he sensed Yato's gaze bore into him, but after a second, his master thankfully seemed to believe it was nothing worth lingering on. "Alright, Yukine, let's go see Hiyori!" There was cheer in his tone and suddenly his hand landed on Yukine's back to steer him through the crowds. Yukine did not know if the physical connection was for Yato's sake or his own, but for reasons he could not remember, it brought a silly smile to his face.

* * *

Yato and him waltzed into the classroom. Yes, his master really did just twirl -what a strange god- as he approached Hiyori who observed their entrance with a gobsmacked expression. She instantly dropped her body, leaving it to slump over in her desk, and stood with her pink tail swaying.

"Hiyori!" Yato called in a sing-song voice. "Did you miss me? How about a good morning kiss-"

Hiyoiri walked right past Yato, who had spread his arms open as if anticipating her embrace, and headed straight to Yukine's position by the open door. Neither of them acknowledged Yato's wail of disappointment, especially not the shinki who only managed to get out a shy smile and short wave before he was being smushed within Hiyori's arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Yukine!" She burrowed her face into his neck and Yukine tried to speak, but her embrace was choking the life out of him.

"Hiyoriii! What about my hug?" Yato's whining fortunately distracted her and she released him to round on Yato with righteous fury written all over her stance.

Yukine sucked in as much air as he could after being denied it for a solid minute, but lost his precious oxygen when a gasp escaped him as Hiyori grabbed a hold of Yato's hair and tugged him down so their faces were only an inch apart.

"What sort of irresponsible god are you?!" Her voice dropped to demonic levels and sweatdrops formed on his god's face. Though there was also a spot of red on his cheeks, which confused the shinki because it wasn't hot in here. "Why is Yukine only wearing a jacket? It's supposed to snow today and all you gave him was a jacket? Do you want him to catch a cold?!"

"B-But Hiyori, he isn't cold! Tell her Y-Yukine!" Yato squeaked and Yukine opened his mouth, but a whiff of dust abruptly came his way and he coughed.

"Ah! He's already sick!" Hiyori cried, throwing Yato away from herself so hard that the god fell back into a vacant desk, rolled over the seat, and landed face first on the ground. Some students blinked into awareness at the sound of a body hitting the desk, but soon realized the teacher was still lecturing them so went back to daydreaming.

"Yato?" Yukine asked in concern when his god did not move again except for the occasional twitch. He was reassured when a low groan emitted from the god and he started to walk over to help Yato, however, Hiyori dragged him back and he nearly tumbled out the doorway.

"Don't worry, Yukine!" She smiled sweetly at him and the regalia did not understand how one could appear cutesy yet radiate danger at the same time. "I can buy you some winter accessories right now if you'd like."

"Wait a minute!" Yato sprung up as if he'd never been hurt -had he been acting? "My kid doesn't need your charity!" The god practically materialized by his side and lugged Yukine back into the classroom with a scowl. "He's perfectly fine in my care!"

Yukine wondered if "my kid" referred to himself and if so, he wondered what this meant in regard to how his master viewed him. Clearly he was far younger than Yato, like most humans, but what did "my kid" mean? Was he like Yato's kid brother?

Hiyori pulled him by his other arm, causing him to stumble a few steps out into the hall. "No, he isn't! If I leave him with you, he'll have frostbite or pneumonia by the end of the day!"

"No, he won't!" Yato pulled him back into the room and since both refused to lose an inch of ground, Yukine's arms were forcibly stretched out and caused him mild discomfort. Odd, why did he suddenly feel like he was in the middle of a rather vicious and childish custody battle?

This feeling only grew as Hiyori and Yato started arguing over who could take better care of him as if he was a child -he wasn't!- and Yukine wondered why they reminded him of a newly divorced couple. Suddenly he recalled the blush that had been on Yato's face and it struck him that his master had been hot, but not from the temperature in the room. Oh, he got it now. He must have forgotten they were dating.

"WHAT?!" Hiyori dropped him and Yukine figured he accidentally spoke aloud right before he collided with Yato, who in his shock had continued to pull at the shinki. Thus they fell into a heap on the floor. Quickly Yukine pushed himself up and off his dazed master.

"Y-Yukine?" Yato was gaping at the regalia and he noticed the blush turning his master's cheeks into twin cherries. He turned to Hiyori who stood in the doorway and observed how red her face was and how her eyes darted to Yato's before she could no longer maintain eye contact with anyone.

Oh, they weren't dating...yet...

"Sorry, I thought it was something I forgot!" He rushed to explain as he and Yato got up while his own cheeks grew warm. Soon all three of them were standing there in uncomfortable silence, but they were saved when the bell rang and suddenly all the students had risen and were gathering their school supplies.

"We should probably go." Hiyori said above the mummer of voices and Yukine hurried over to the doorway in response. However, he was unprepared for his god to grab his shoulder and reach over to touch Hiyori's shoulder too.

"My thoughts exactly!" Yato cheered and neither teen could react before they were teleported outside and far from the school building. He blinked and Hiyori exhaled softly beside him as they took in the sight of people milling about a plaza and waiting in lines at decorative food stands. There were colorful lights strung above every stand, which sparkled and glimmered in all their glory since the sun was hidden by gray clouds.

"Yato, where..." Hiyori turned to the smiling god while Yukine continued examining the festival -it had to be one- around them. There were small groups of people scattered throughout the plaza, but it seemed it was too early for most people to be here because it was fairly empty. He also noticed how everyone was dressed causal, no yukatas in sight, and wondered what the festival was celebrating.

"I saw them put up these stands yesterday and I thought it would be fun for all of us to eat tons of food- Augh!" Yato dropped to his knees after Hiyori smacked him upside his head while her pink tail swished behind her in aggravation.

"You just want me to buy you food, don't you!" Hiyori glared down at Yato who was tenderly poking at the newly-formed lump on his head. Yukine wondered if physical violence was a common interaction between them. He did have lots of memories of Hiyori blushing and yelling at someone, and normally it wasn't himself she yelled at, so perhaps it was Yato. A light pounding in his temple warned him not to think harder on the subject and reluctantly he obeyed.

"Well, a food offering would be welcomed." Yato had risen to send the girl a pathetic look, topped off with sniveling and a side of crocodile tears.

Hiyori gave him a deadpan look that said she didn't buy it, but eventually she sighed and Yato knew he won because he instantly cheered as if he hadn't been crying at all -his god was a con artist?!

"Don't worry, Hiyori! I'll win you that capyper to pay you back!" He pointed towards a stand a couple yards away, which was home to many huge, stuffed animals hanging above it. He vaguely recalled going to Capypaland with Hiyori and seeing an identical stuffed capyer in one of the gift shops.

"I don't want one!"

"Fine, I'll get it for my kid then!" Yato sniffed indignantly and marched over to Yukine, placing a hand on his shoulder. He flinched because Yato's hand was freezing and wondered if the the lack of sun had caused the temperature to drop.

"Oh, are you cold?" Yato looked mildly concerned by Yukine's shivering and Yukine nodded because it was starting to get to the point that his jacket didn't produce ample warmth.

"I told you he wasn't dressed properly!" Hiyori puffed her cheeks and stomped her foot.

Yato waved her down. "Fine, fine, he can wear my scarf if he's so cold!" He swiftly tugged off the ragged cloth around his neck, folded it into a rectangle shape, and then tossed it around Yukine's neck.

"Um, but you're cold too-"

"And he can have my hat!" Hiyori yanked off her black hat with a puffball on the end and stuffed it onto his head.

Yukine was mute as Yato wound the scarf snuggly around his neck and Hiyori made sure the tips of his ears were covered by her hat. He was torn between shouting he was NOT a little kid and just letting them have their way because a tiny part of him really liked this. The two simply looked so concerned and he wished he could remember if this was how things were meant to be, if it had always been this way between them.

"There!" They announced in unison and stepped back to examine Yukine before god and girl nodded to themselves over a job well done. Yukine did not maintain eye contact with either of them because once the joy of being fawned over faded, he merely felt embarrassed.

"Now to the food stands!" Yato dramatically pointed ahead where a gentle breeze carried the sweet and spicy scent of food over to them. The smell made Yukine want to sneeze, and he wondered if he really was catching a cold. Yato ran ahead before he could worry too much though, and the teens followed the exuberant god at a slower pace.

Yet despite the many colorful attractions they passed, Yukine was fixated on his master and his eyes twinkled in wonder as he observed the god cajole Hiyori for more money while they entered the short line. He didn't know the god very well, but already he had learned this god had many sides to him. Right now Yato was scarfing down what looked like fried squid on a stick as well as cotton candy. A sloppy grin was planted on his face between bites and he practically skipped from stall to stall much like a hyperactive toddler. Yet this same god had been downright wrathful when he explained how all his memories had initially been tampered with.

Though as interesting as Yato's mood swings were, they also made him wary because just when he thought he figured the god out, a new face would appear and Yukine would have start a whole new profile on the guy. Certainly Yato acted goofy and joked with him and Hiyori alike, but there was more to him than that. The god he met in the alleyway was dangerous and he knew Yato was well-versed in combat, considering they had taken on Bishamon and lived. Yet here he was arguing with Hiyori like an old married couple and treating Yukine with a tenderness reserved for the truest of friends and closest of family. Was that what they were before he lost his memories? Best friends? A family?

"Are you okay?" Hiyori interrupted his musings and Yukine noticed they were heading towards the stand where the huge capyer toy hung. It looked like one had to play a water gun game where you knocked over a series of moving targets to win a prize. "You're not too hot, are you? Maybe we went overboard with the clothes."

Yukine shook his head. "No, I'm just confused." He stared at Yato who was practically swooning as he stared up at the giant capyer with hearts in his eyes. "I don't understand him."

Hiyori frowned while her pink eyes darkened in sympathy. "Don't worry, it's not the amnesia causing your confusion. Yato can be a...puzzle even to the people that know him best." She beamed at him and Yukine soaked in the reassurance like a sponge because it made him feel less lost. It wasn't his fault he didn't understand Yato, his god simply had a lot of sides to him. Including a side where he acted like an immature child according to how Yato was in the middle of a sob fest since he had failed to win the giant capyer. Though the man behind the stand did hand his master a plastic headband with capyer ears on it, causing his god to cheer.

"Hey, Yukineee!" The god turned towards him, holding the headband above the shinki's head. "Try this on, I bet it would look so cute on you!"

Instinct to protect his self-image overcame him and he smacked the headband out of Yato's hand with a growl. "I'm not wearing that ugly thing, bakagami!" He glared at the headband as it hit the ground with the soft clatter that plastic hitting pavement always makes. However, he soon realized what he had done and gasped because he'd insulted his god and it was obvious that Yato cared a lot -unnaturally so- for those capyers and now he would be so mad or even worse cry-

Yato burst into laughter and clutched at his middle as his merriment intensified. Yukine's mouth fell open while Hiyori's eyes fluttered rapidly to clear her vision as if she wasn't sure what she was seeing. However, the longer Yato continued to laugh, the more Yukine worried his master had lost his mind -assuming he had ever been sane. Though before Hiyori could grab Yukine and slowly inch away from the god, which her expression said she was thinking of doing, Yato's chuckles died away and he was left panting from the exertion.

Before either teen could speak, Yato opened one eye and straightened up. "That's the most you've acted like yourself all day!" It took Yukine a second to comprehend that Yato wasn't simply ecstatic, he was proud of Yukine...for being a brat? And why did Yato being proud of him make him giddy?

 _"Don't ignore me when I'm praising you!"_

Yukine gasped when what had to be a memory slipped into the forefront of his mind before dissipating like a dream and already he could not recall what the voice had said. However, he knew for one second he had remembered Yato and by some miracle it had not hurt -probably because it faded so quickly- so he smiled back at his master because perhaps this meant the seal on his back was temporary. Maybe all Yukine had to do was be patient and he would remember everything. He would remember Yato.

"Oooh, is she selling charms?" Yato squinted somewhere above his head. Then he was off and Hiyori gave chase while shouting that those charms were a scam and a waste of money. Yukine took a step to follow them, but recalled the capyer headband was still on the ground and turned back to retrieve it. For all his master raved about those creatures, one would think he would not have forgotten the item. Yukine stooped down to pluck it off the dark pavement and as he stared at it, recalled the fact there were tons of capyer-themed merchandise piled in a corner of his attic room and Yukine didn't own even half of those items. Hmm, it would make sense if most of that merchandise belonged to Yato.

"Do you remember Yaboku?"

Yukine's heart nearly leapt out his chest and he spun to face that nora from before. "A-Are you following me?" He clenched the plastic headband in his hand to release the tension building within him while those emotionless, yet sharp eyes lingered on his orange ones. Wait a second, he had seen those eyes before. Yes, those brown eyes devoid of life had been there the night he got amnesia.

"Do I know you?" He breathed out and his warm breath clouded the winter air between them. The fog obscured the nora's face for only a moment, but long enough that he wasn't sure if the girl had smirked or smiled before her face smoothed out into her default blank expression.

"Do you remember Yaboku?" She insisted, stressing the name.

Frustrated by his answer being ignored, Yukine decided to treat her like she was treating him by answering a question with a question. "Who is Yaboku?"

"The name of your true master."

Yukine reeled back and his lips parted while the Nora remained unmoved. "What? No, it's not. My master is called Yato!"

"Is that what you remember?" Her question hung heavy in the silence between them.

Yukine faltered, however, he recovered quickly. "That's not important. Hiyori and Kazuma already told me Yato was my master and they wouldn't lie to me."

"Are you so certain of that?" Her question punctured his confidence, but he tried not to reveal his wavering faith.

"What do you mean?" He clenched his fists, prepared to fight against any accusation tossed at his friends.

"Think and remember." Her voice softened until her tone was silk weaving into his mind and easing his anger. "Can you really trust Kazuma?"

Yukine nearly retorted, but recalled how willingly Kazuma had used restraint on him. Old feelings of betrayal sprouted in his heart as he pondered this. Kazuma had only been trying to stop him from making a mistake, like a good teacher would, and that was no betrayal. He wanted to voice this defense, but memories floated into his mind, ones he had not recalled until this point, and his skin paled because...because that hadn't been the first time Kazuma had done that. Yukine recalled being forced to speak, to betray information about his master's Father against his will, and Kazuma had forced him to speak, had hurt him, betrayed him. How could he do that to him? He trusted him!

Yukine's lips wobbled as the foundation of trust between him and Kazuma crumbled because the nora was right. No wonder he had felt so certain of the green-eyed shinki's betrayal, restraint was not the worst thing the other hafuri had done to him.

He was so horrified by this revelation, he couldn't speak for a moment as it took all his willpower to tamper down his anger and despair before he accidentally stung his master. "Okay." He took a steadying breath. "At least Hiyori-"

"Is far too kind and loyal to lie to you." There was definitely a mocking undertone in the nora's declaration and he questioned if the nora was aquatinted with Hiyori. "Unless it was to spare you from the truth."

Yukine's blood ran cold at the accusation, but he covered it with anger. "And what would she be sparing me from?" He hitched up an eyebrow to show his skepticism.

The Nora was silent for a moment before her reply took a hammer to his final defense. "From the fact your true master is dead."

Yukine choked and clutched his heart because that was insane and couldn't, _could not_ , absolutely couldn't be true.

"And it's all your fault, Yukine." The Nora stared at him without a shadow of a doubt, but he shook his head.

"You're lying." Yukine whispered, fighting against the lie because he knew it wasn't true, and he could prove it. "Yato is my master, he remembers the same events I do-"

"Unless someone simply told him that information." She spread weeds all over his flowering hope. "Hiyori, Kazuma, Kofuku, and Daikoku could have fed Yato all that information. You were unconscious for twelve hours, there was plenty of time for them to talk."

He clawed at his hat to pull it over his ears because he didn't want to hear these lies, they hurt too much.

"They all care so much for you, they couldn't bear to let you know what happened that night. To tell you how you and your master Yaboku-"

"Shut up!" He snapped, but wasn't looking at her because if he couldn't see her maybe this was all in his head, maybe it wasn't real.

"Were attacked by ayakashi that night and you weren't good enough to protect him." Her cruel words stabbed into his chest and he was on the verge of another panic attack because her accusation fit the evidence too well. His jacket had been torn apart like he'd been in a fight and "Yaboku" sounded familiar.

"Your master perished, and your mind is blocking the memory because it knows you can't handle the truth. When your friends found out, they used your amnesia to their advantaged and hired a desperate minor god to pretend to be your master. For hours they coached him on how to act, they planned out what lies to tell you. All so the poor boy wouldn't have to know he was responsible for his master's death."

"Shut up!" Yukine swiveled around, but only saw the white fog his haggard breathing had filled the air with. The Nora was gone, yet her accusations poisoned his mind and he felt himself falling apart because nothing was real.

"Yukine!"

A clammy hand latched onto his arm and kept him from collapsing on the spot. He stared up into wide, blue eyes and wondered if Yaboku had eyes like that before he smacked such thoughts away because that Nora was a liar, it was all lies!

"What's wrong?" Yato wrapped an arm around Yukine's waist and the shinki fell against his side because his body no longer obeyed his commands and his legs were shaking.

"I...I don't feel good." Yukine whimpered because he did feel sick to his stomach and he had the urge to throw up if only to cleanse his body of the Nora's horrid words.

"Oh, kid, why didn't you say something sooner?" Yato held him closer to his side and Yukine wanted to cry because Yato's concern seemed so real and he wanted it to be real, but nothing in his brain could confirm that it was. Yato was a stranger, maybe he always had been.

"-tell Hiyori and then I'll get you home." He carefully led Yukine towards the girl, who was yards away and calling for Yukine prior to spotting them.

Yukine kept his gaze on the ground as she approached because he didn't want to know what he would find if he looked at Hiyori. He was terrified there would be some hint as she looked at the god holding up Yukine, a hint that she did not know Yato as well as she'd been pretending to. Perhaps that was why she was so understanding when Yukine said Yato confused him, she was covering up how little she knew about this god.

"-feel better soon, Yukine." Her soft hand gently patted his head, but he merely watched her shoes depart after mumbling out a goodbye.

"Alright," Yato sighed above him and he wondered if it was that exhausting to pretend to care about Yukine. "Let's go home." He did not respond because he doubted they were really going home.

No place could be home without his master Yaboku.

* * *

Yukine did in fact throw up, and he knew the Yato god was hovering outside the bathroom door, but thankfully did not barge in at the sound of his retching -he had a feeling the god wanted to though. Yukine cleaned up in the sink, splashing cold water on his face, and then examining himself in the mirror. He looked as awful as he felt. His head was spinning as negative thoughts ravaged his mind and left him devoid of hope. He didn't want to believe the nora, really, he had no reason to trust her. She hadn't been nice, had outright stalked him, and was the main reason for his declining health.

Yet her accusations had truth to them. Kazuma had betrayed him before, Hiyori had lied to spare him before -the time he stole a skateboard and she claimed to buy it for him proved that she was capable of white lies. Though the real crux of the matter was how he didn't remember Yato while he did remember the name Yaboku. As well as the vaguest recollection of ayakashi wolves attacking him, which would explain his destroyed jacket and blighted wounds. Plus it all went along perfectly with the Nora's claims.

So maybe his god was dead.

Bile rose up in the back of his throat and Yukine swallowed to keep it down. No, he didn't know that for sure. Scowling, he thought there was a lot he didn't know since he couldn't remember. His amnesia was no longer merely a vexation, it was destroying the fabric of his reality, and he was half-tempted to try recalling memories of his master because the pain of the seal's backlash couldn't hurt any more than he was hurting now- The seal!

Yukine quickly threw off his jacket and pulled down the back of his shirt collar. If he could just see the name on his back wouldn't that be proof that the nora was a liar? Proof that it wasn't Yukine's own mind blocking his memories, but the seal's fault? He turned his back to the mirror and stretched his neck to look back as far as he could. A copy of his name stood stark red against his pale skin, right below his neck, and Yukine drank in the sight because Kazuma hadn't been lying about that, it was real!

Yet that wasn't really proof of anything except that there were two identical names on his body. Yukine dropped his shirt and choked on a sob. He was back to square one and doubt plagued him like a tangible disease. He didn't bother to fight off his stormy emotions, it wasn't like he had a master who would get stung by his negativity. Thus he allowed himself to mope and his heart beat a sad tune as he grabbed his jacket and shrugged it back on. Then he dragged himself over to the door and simply stared into the wood.

He wondered if Kofuku or Bishamon was the one who made the copy of his name on his back. Only gods could name shinki, and perhaps one of them had enchanted the seal or something so the name would sting him whenever he got too close to remembering the truth. Perhaps his first instinct had been right, maybe Yato was the one behind that agonizing pain. Maybe Yato was protecting himself, for he would be out of a job if Yukine realized he wasn't his real master.

Yukine pulled open the door because being alone with his thoughts had done him no good. His gaze was on the floor so he saw Yato's boots before he spotted the god jumping back to avoid being hit by the door he had clearly been pressed up against.

"Oh, hello, Yukine!" The god tried to sound nonchalant but his voice was pitched high and his greeting was stiff. "You feel any better?"

"If you're my master shouldn't you already know?" The bitterness coating his speech took him aback and he soon felt guilty because even if this god wasn't his master, he had been nice to the regalia. "Sorry, I'm just tired." He didn't sound very apologetic, but couldn't muster up anything but a flat tone.

Yato shook his head. "It's okay, that was a pretty stupid question. I know you're still feeling sick." The god led him to his room and he pointedly ignored the second futon because he didn't want to think about his master's identity. He didn't want to hear anymore theories.

Yukine laid down with his mind buzzing and his stomach churning. The god tucked the blanket over his prone body after the regalia made no move to cover himself because none of this was real anyway, nothing mattered. He purposely stared at the ceiling and ignored how the god continued to hover at his side

"Yukine," Yato's voice wavered and his eyes darted away and then refocused on the ill regalia. "Do you have any idea what made you sick?" Beneath his timidity, something resembling suspicion lurked in his tone.

Yukine considered shouting that he could stop acting now, he knew the truth, and this charade wasn't funny so much as soul-crushing. Yato chocked and clutched at his heart, and Yukine blinked because it almost looked like he was pained by Yukine's surge of anger and sadness.

Or it was a coincidence.

Yukine met Yato's eyes and his poker face must have sucked because Yato was starting to look less concerned and more thoughtful. "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Yukine looked away, bit his lip, sighed, and then nodded because he couldn't go on like this.

Amazement filtered over Yato's face. "Really?" He nodded again, and Yato held his head as if to ward off a fainting spell. "Wow, usually getting you to talk about your feelings is like prying open an angst-ridden, teenage clam."

He couldn't help except sputter out a brief laugh over the god's metaphor because honestly he wasn't a very touchy-feely teen, however, doubt creeped in and his mirth was short-lived. Yato either saw his smile fade or sensed his despair -he didn't know anymore- and frowned.

"What's bothering you?"

Yukine sat up so he would feel less intimidated by the god's position over him. "I, well, don't take this the wrong way..."

"Don't worry, anything you dish out can't be worse than what I've already had said about me." Yato grinned, but Yukine thought that was sort of sad. Yato hadn't done anything to warrant badmouthing...right?

His uncertainty reminded him of the issue and he went back to the subject. "I've been having trouble knowing what's real, and it's not that I don't trust you, Yato," Though lack of trust was certainly a part of the problem. "But I can't remember so many things and even when you and everyone else remind me of stuff, it doesn't feel right. Like the memories I'm being told about don't belong to me. It's like hearing about someone else, another Yukine, and I don't...I just wish..." He took a deep breath because he had been rambling nonstop.

During the brief pause, he noted how Yato's face was carefully neutral yet there was sympathy peeking through his mask and that was enough to motivate Yukine to go on. "I mean, I know I'm here, I'm home, and you're here too, but none of this feels real. It's like I'm still lost because you're right here, but I still feel like I haven't found my master, like he isn't really here and I w-want him back! I want my memories back and it's not fair, it's n-not fair!"

Yato's arms wrapped around him because Yukine was a blubbering mess and had started crying. This god was so nice and he liked being held by him because it felt right, but guilt trickled in because if this wasn't his master then this was a betrayal-

"Yukine," Yato's voice halted his redundant thoughts. "Maybe your mind doesn't remember me," the god's chest rumbled beneath his ear and he turned to press his mouth into his chest to muffle his own sobs so he could hear Yato better. "But what about the rest of you? What do your senses tell you? What does they say about me?"

Yukine did not have to think it over for very long because his senses had been screaming at him since he met this god yesterday. His senses told him he knew Yato, and even now they were berating him for ever doubting this fact.

Yato must have sensed his doubt clearing up because he smiled into Yukine's hair. "See? Your mind may have forgotten, but your heart remembers me. So even if you don't trust me or anyone else, you can always trust yourself."

Yukine pulled away an inch and Yato loosened his hold so the regalia could peer up at him. The adoration in those blue eyes was not fake his heart told him. That loving tenderness oozing from the god and spilling onto Yukine was genuine.

"Yato!" Yukine threw himself back into the embrace -his master's embrace- because that Nora was wrong. Yato was his true master.

Yato was home.

* * *

 **Aw, poor Yukine needs to stop doubting himself, but kinda hard not to when his memories are all over the place and thus unreliable.**

 **Also just to let you guys know this story is actually going to be five chapters long because apparently I can't write anything shorter for a Noragami fic ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the two week wait! It's finals week and I've been super busy with exams and final papers, which I'm still swamped with (hooray for procrastination!). On the bright side, this is my last week of homework before I'm free and then you can expect updates to come much faster :) I will probably be posting or updating Noragami fanfics within a matter of days once this week ends since I'll have waaay more time to write and edit.**

 **Also thanks again for following, favoriting, and reviewing!**

* * *

Yukine woke up to the whistling wind outside disrupting the silence. It was clearly still daytime because there was sunlight streaming into his eyes, which he squinted against until his pupils shrunk to accommodate the light. He didn't remember falling asleep, but he must have nodded off -more like passed out- sometime during his emotional breakdown. The last thing he recalled was his body getting heavy until he lost the energy to even sniffle and a mummer over his head as Yato gently rocked him.

His master Yato.

Yukine sighed and if he didn't feel so cozy under his blankets, he would have smacked himself for being such an _idiot_ earlier. His face grew hot with embarrassment and anger for believing the nora's lies. Now that he wasn't bogged down by emotional turmoil, it was obvious how outrageous the nora's claims had been.

He had met Yato in the crowds before anyone had even known about his amnesia, which meant Yato couldn't have been hired to pretend to be his master since everyone thought his memories were intact at that time. Thus any plans to trick him wouldn't have worked. Also Yato had clearly been searching for him before Yukine had been knocked out for twelve hours, and it didn't make sense for some random god to be searching for him unless said god was already familiar with Yukine. There were other holes in Nora's accusations, but Yukine didn't want to ponder over them, he was mortified enough by his behavior.

Truly he felt terrible for allowing doubt to settle in his heart. His poor master had done nothing wrong, yet his own hafuri had doubted him. Yukine burrowed his face in his futon in a futile attempt to block out his self-deprecating thoughts. However, his mind insisted on pointing out just how much of an idiot he'd been.

Yato had never once hurt him or gotten angry despite having good reason to at times. Instead the god had been patient, caring, and went out of his way to make Yukine feel welcomed. He had fed and clothed Yukine, and even tucked him into bed -he blushed at that. His master did all this despite how much this situation must have been wearing him down.

The god had been working nonstop, didn't seem to have slept since yesterday, and now that he thought about it, the festival was the first time Yukine saw Yato eat all day. He hadn't even ordered a measly drink at the diner, no, his god had been too busy buying Yukine a jacket to replace his lost one simply because he knew Yukine liked his old jacket and wished to make Yukine happy. That wasn't even taking into account that his god was broke, and probably spent his last yen paying for Yukine's meal and buying the jacket.

The shinki facepalmed because he was such an idiot and did not deserve to have such a kind, caring god. Though it wasn't all his fault, that nora certainly played a part in his emotional turmoil. His blood boiled at the memory of that nora's cruel words, which had nearly destroyed the fledgling relationship he'd rebuilt with his master. Then again, he shouldn't have been surprised by her cruelty and lying tongue since Nora had toyed with his emotions many times before. She even aided Father in giving him amnesia-

His thoughts screeched to a halt because Nora had been there when he got amnesia, Nora had been there when he got amnesia! Yukine remembered how he got amnesia!

He shot up and ignored the stiffness in his joints as he pushed himself into a stand. His feet got tangled in the blankets in his haste, but he kicked them off and hurried out his room and down the stairs. He may not have recalled every detail of that night, but the memory was solid enough to-

"Oof!" A puff of air escaped him as he collided with Yato on the last step. His god instinctively caught him with a grunt and by taking a step back to brace against the shinki's momentum.

"Woah, there," Yato made sure the regalia was stable before releasing him, but continued to look Yukine over probably because he was breathing noticeably faster both from the run and his own excitement. "I was just coming up to check on you. Do you still feel sick?"

"I remember how I got amnesia." He spilled with shimmering sunset orange eyes.

Yato's mouth snapped close and he blinked rapidly as if he thought he'd misheard Yukine. Yet the shinki's blood was pumping and every neuron in his brain was fired up because he finally remembered that night. He had a mental breakthrough during his sleep and this pleased him to no end because it was a promising sign. Though thinking over the incident that took away his memories of Yato did stir up the beginnings of a headache, but since the incident wasn't directly involved with Yato -at least it wasn't according to what he could remember- he doubted the seal would lash out at him for recalling it.

Thus Yukine practically vibrated in place because he wanted to spill everything to his master. This new information could be the key to everything, such as getting rid of the seal, and he was itching to find out if all his problems could go away now. No more amnesia and no more questioning his memories or the people around him. Things would go back to normal and he could truly come home.

"Yukine," Yato squinted at him and his eyes were bright perhaps because he too realized they were on the brink of solving all their problems. "Do you remember that night? More than what Kazuma said you remember?"

"I do now!" Yukine grinned, showing off his pearly whites before his emotion dimmed as he recalled the events of that night. "It was that nora from earlier, she helped him."

"Nora?" A sharp change in Yato's tone startled Yukine as the god's voice darkened into a heavy growl. He felt squeamish when he saw how his master's lips pressed together while his body went taunt, which caused his spine to straighten until he towered over the shinki.

Yukine hesitated a moment, but quickly realized this rage was not directed at him. "I'll explain her later, but I need to tell you what happened that night."

Yato regarded him with narrowed eyes for a long second, but soon sighed. "Okay, you're right, let's hear it."

Yukine looked away from Yato and stared at the wall, finding that the monotone color of an inanimate structure helped him focus far more than having to watch his master's reaction. "You know how I left in the middle of the night?"

* * *

Yukine still could not recall what had drove him to leave in the dead of night. Though he did recall him and Yato having an unusually high amount of jobs that day, which someone -maybe Yato- said was due to a series of large vents opening up on the edge of the city. Regardless, Yukine had been exhausted because that bakagami was lazy and had tried avoiding work all day. This resulted in the shinki having to keep his god on track and stay sharp during battle after battle, which led to him practically fainting once he sunk under the lovely, plush covers of his futon. His god had similarly fallen into a deep slumber within seconds upon arriving home, but right on the threshold of sleep, something caused the shinki to shoot up. Yukine had rushed out the room, tiptoed down the stairs, and ran out the house after he snatched a flashlight and flung on his newest jacket.

It didn't take him long to arrive at Suzuha's tree, but before Yukine could catch his breath, the crunch of shoes stepping onto frozen grass caught his attention and his head snapped to the side. Yukine gasped as he took in the sight of the teenager with red eyes and the term "Father" rang across his mind. Yukine took a step back and his fingers were twitching while the muscles in his arms went taunt.

The man in a teenager's body cocked his head, noting how Yukine was prepping for a fight. "There's no need for that, Yukine." The way Father drew out his name made the regalia shiver in disgust. It was as if his name was soiled simply from having a monster like Father verbalize it. "I only want to talk."

Yukine's shoulders bunched up and he eyed Father while disdain and apprehension filled him. "About what?" His voice did not tremble, but Yukine was under no illusions that he was safe. In fact, he would be mentally cursing himself for being so careless, but did not want to risk distracting himself from the danger before him.

Father sighed, but the smirk on his face revealed this to be a farce and the man was actually amused. "Well, it's come to my attention that I never gave you a proper warning, which I apologize for."

Yukine narrowed his eyes when the man's gaze roved up to the starry sky and wondered if he could take advantage of this. However, history told him not to be fooled by Father's apparent lack of attention. Father was crafty enough to lull his victims into a false sense of security before revealing his claws. Farther reminded him a lot of Nora in that way, for she too used her honey words to reel Yukine in and forced him to remain listening with her siren calls.

"I at least gave Hiyori a warning, not that she listened." Father spoke in such a breezy tone about threatening one of his friends that Yukine felt fire burning within himself.

"You mean when you tried to force Yato to kill her and nearly turned her into a full ayakashi." He hissed through clenched teeth because he remembered that event all too well. The incident had been so taxing on his emotional state that he had blighted his master, and even now he wondered if he could have done something to prevent that.

"No, that wasn't me." Father was smug as he shook his head, but a note of seriousness was carried in his tone. "That was Yato's fault for dragging the girl into a place she doesn't belong. Of course, it's in his nature to hurt those around him. What else can a god of calamity do? He's destined to bring ruin, death, and destruction to anyone foolish enough to follow him." The pointed look in Yukine's direction was the breaking point for the shinki, but Father's next words stopped a heated retort from leaving his lips. "You should ask to be released from your master, it would be best for you and my Yaboku if you stayed away from each other."

That possessive "my", one that should have been a term of endearment like "my kid", only implied possession. As if his master was something owned, and that caused Yukine to hit his boiling point.

"Yato is not a god of calamity, he's a god of _fortune_." Yukine's fists clenched until his nails stamped red curves into his palms. "And if misfortune tends to follow him it's because you and Nora won't leave him alone!"

Father blinked, completely unfazed by the shinki's declaration. "So I take it you won't listen to me and you plan to keep following Yaboku?" The man had the audacity to sound bored like he had predicted this would happen.

Yukine didn't doubt he had figured his warning -threat really- would be ignored. This only served to fuel Yukine's irritation because this entire conversation had been pointless from the start.

Thus with words emboldened by his anger, Yukine turned his back to Father while haughtily saying, "Do what you want. Go ahead and try to kill me like you did with Hiyori. Your plan failed then and it will fail now." He was smirking as he side-eyed Father. "I watched how Yato refused to hurt Hiyori, how he refused to cut her down, and that's why I know your plan will fail. Yato would never hurt her or me." He twisted around to face Father head on, however, confidence fled when he saw the man standing only an inch away.

"You're right," Father latched on his arms and Yukine's attempt to pull free by digging his heels into the soft earth was for naught. "No good father would hurt his son," he leaned down so those blood red eyes met his orange, which were shadowed by his dawning terror. "But sons can hurt their fathers."

Father tossed Yukine down, the flashlight flew from his grasp, and the shinki fell hard onto his back, but he managed to sit up before the wolves came. A pack of masked ayakashi wolves dove at him from all sides and Yukine swung his arm in an arc. Yet his borderline struck another borderline and Yukine caught sight of those lifeless dark brown eyes by Suzuha's tree and that smirk on Nora's face before the wolves engulfed his vision.

They latched onto the soft tissue of his limbs and torso. Yukine screamed when their fangs pierced flesh while the blighting was like salt poured upon his wounds. He burned all over and his struggling merely caused their teeth graze his skin and their jaws to sink in deeper. Soon Yukine was forced to lay still with blood leaking from his wounds while the wolves held his limbs down with their clenched jaws. In too great of pain to flail, Yukine stopped fighting and the wolves' grip lessened but they did not release him as their master approached the injured shinki.

Yukine's eyes remained heavenward and the stars in the dark sky blurred together into misshapen clusters of light because tears of pain were squeezing out his eyes. He tried to put up a brave face when Father gazed down at him with nothing but cold certainty, but he was hurting and he was scared. He could only gasp in tight, thin breaths to manage his pain as Father raised his hand and made a familiar motion with them.

"I'd tell you what I'm doing, but you won't even remember this." Father smirked at him before he made a cutting motion in the air.

Yukine's memory went fuzzy at this part. He recalled screaming his lungs out, fire burning _burning_ his back and chest, and his mind torn apart while his thoughts peeled away until he was nothing.

Yukine was nothing.

He was nothing.

Everything was gone.

* * *

Yukine leaned back as a series of curses and venom flew off Yato's tongue. His god was glaring off to the side and his arms trembled with the force of his clenched hands. He would have found this intimidating, but recalled Yato acting similarly when he'd told him about all his memories being scrambled at first. Thus Yukine wasn't afraid so much as he was warmed that Yato was upset for his hafuri's sake. Speaking of which, Yukine wondered why he had forgotten Nora and Father in the first place.

"I didn't recognize Nora when I saw her at the diner, but I sort of remember her now." Yukine scrolled through the blurry memories of his past encounters with Nora, and scowled at how frequently she used verbal manipulation on him.

The azure fire simmered into embers within Yato's eyes as curiosity replaced rage. "You saw Nora at the diner?" His voice was purposely cool and indicative of no emotion.

Yukine looked away, uncertain if this was an accusation. "Yes, but I didn't know who she was. I would have told you-"

Yato waved him down and a small smile eased his features. "It's fine, Yukine." The edges of his lips curved into a scowl. "Is she the reason you got sick?"

"She said things that made me doubt myself, and I was stupid enough to believe her." His gaze dropped to the floor and his shoulders drooped.

"No," Yato's hand landed on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Yukine risked a glance upwards and saw only sympathy swimming in Yato's pools of blue. "Nora was being manipulative as usual, and considering what happened that night, she knew about your amnesiac state and took advantage of it." He hissed at the end, anger coating his speech.

However, this fire died quickly and Yato's volume went down to a soft timbre. "Nora and Father are tied to me, and the only reason you and Hiyori know them is because of me." Yukine did not like where this was heading, but Yato carried on before he could interrupt. "That's probably why you didn't remember them. Memories of them lead directly to memories of me, you can't have one without the other." His god deflated until he was sitting on the bottom step of the staircase and running a hand down his face.

"Don't be such a bakagami!"

Yato visually started, yet Yukine would not stand for this and crouched down so Yato was at eye level. "Didn't you hear what I said? I told Father you were a god of fortune, and that means you make people happy. You make..." He trailed off as pink freckled his cheeks and he huffed out a breath to steady himself. "You make me happy."

Yato's sudden gasp made Yukine straighten so he wouldn't have to make eye contact. "I don't remember everything, but I remember that. I remember how happy you made me."

Silence reigned between them after his declaration. Yukine fidgeted as a solid minute passed before he heard Yato stand and very soon arms wrapped around him. "Aww, my kid is such a genius." He used a teasing tone that made Yukine bristle, but the compliment was genuine so he merely pressed his face into Yato's chest to hide his blush. "I guess if my hafuri says I shouldn't blame myself, I should listen."

Yukine shifted his head up to send Yato a "duh, you idiot!" look. Yato laughed while he released his kid and grinned at him. Though amusement soon died away and he grew serious. "Still, I need to have a talk with my father." His entire demeanor darkened.

"You mean we need to talk to him," Yukine predicted Yato's protest so hurriedly went on. "If Father had to be there to seal my memories, I probably have to be physically there for him to remove the seal."

Yato's mouth snapped closed and Yukine knew he won when his god sourly muttered, "Maybe you're too smart."

Yukine crossed his arms and deadpanned. "It's not hard to seem smart when I'm standing next to you." The shinki spun on his heels and headed out the door, confident his master would realize he was only teasing. Thus he was unaware of the shock then hope that kindled in his master's eyes because his kid was coming back. The chasm between shinki and master was finally shrinking.

* * *

They saw Hiyori leave the school grounds while chatting away with her friends, but kept out of sight. Silently they had agreed not to involve the girl in this. Honestly, they already hated the fact she was on Father's radar, but there was nothing they could do about that now.

"There." Yato's whisper drew him away from Hiyori's fading figure and he turned to see Father leaving the school building. Fortunately the man seemed to be walking alone, though there were a few other students that happened to be walking his way.

Yet Yato instantly strode up to the man, barely keeping a respectful distance, and Yukine hurried to join Yato on his left.

Father's head shifted and his eyes flickered their way. The man lifted an eyebrow as if he didn't know why they were there before facing forward, and Yukine wanted to drag him back and demand he remove the seal, but was aware that wouldn't be the wisest course. Thus they continued walking in silence until the other students diverged off the path and the sidewalk was vacant save for them.

Father instantly turned to Yato with a razor sharp grin. "Oh, Yaboku, how nice to see you! Missed your old man?"

"What did you do to my kid?" Yato's cold, lifeless tone caused Yukine to shiver because he had never heard his master sound that threatening before. The air around his god sparked with negative energy that matched the intensity of the glare and scowl he had leveled at Father.

Father's smile grew smug while he leisurely rolled his eyes towards Yukine. His heart skipped a beat when those red orbs peered into his very soul and unconsciously he hunched into himself to make for a smaller target. The memory of being trapped, in pain, and screaming _screaming_ was too fresh and suddenly he wanted to flee.

Yato shifted so he walked at a slight angle and his torso hid Yukine from Father's view. "Well?"

Father turned back to Yato with a sunny smile and shrugged. "I sealed his memories." He and Yato paused, surprised at how easily the admittance came and Father also stopped.

The man tapped a finger against his chin and raised his eyes up to the sky as if he was lost in thought. "Hmm, I also roughed him up a bit, but that's his fault for not keeping still."

Yukine ground his teeth together and stepped out of Yato's protective shadow, but was stopped when Yato raised his arm to bar him. "You mean you sealed his memories of me." Yato chewed out each individual syllable and Yukine noticed his jaw throbbing as he clenched it.

Father's boyish grin broadened to reveal teeth in a predatory fashion. "How egotistical, you should know it's not always about you."

Yato's eyes narrowed, but some of his rage dwindled as uncertainty filled his gaze. Yukine himself sensed something was amiss and edged closer to his master.

"I sealed his memories, not only the ones of you, but _all_ of Yukine's memories."

Yukine's brain refused to comprehend what his ears had heard. Yato tensed with a sharp inhale being his sole audible reply. Surely they had heard wrong because Yukine's memories were fine, it was only memories of Yato he didn't remember. Maybe Father was simply referring to how scattered his memories were at first.

"Wow, you really had no idea, did you?" Father looked as if he were disappointed in them.

Yato shook his head roughly in denial, glancing at Yukine and then to Father with a disturbed expression. "You're lying. Yukine only forgot me."

"That's not what I heard." Yukine had a feeling Father was implying Nora had recounted their encounter to him, in fact, maybe Father had sent Nora to gauge Yukine's state of mind. "I was told Yukine was forgetting all sorts of things, maybe only little things right now but by tomorrow..."

"What do you mean? The seal only hurts me when I try to remember Yato." Yukine glared up at Father because that was clear evidence that only Yato's memories were locked away by the seal.

"That's how it starts. Target a person's most prized memories, the ones starring the person they most cherish, and then it works its way down from there." Father beamed a wolfish smile down at him and his eyes were rosy with amusement. "If you still don't get it, what I'm saying is very soon you won't remember anything, Yukine." He flinched at his name being used the same way it had been that night. "It won't be merely your memories of your master, but everything. Everything you hold dear, everything that makes Yukine a _person_ will be taken away until you're nothing but an empty shell-"

"That's enough!" Yato pulled him back and only when he felt himself pressed against the god's solid form did Yukine realize he was shaking. He was also very cold like a fire that went out and now he was nothing except the brittle remains of firewood.

Yet Yato's eyes were an inferno that contrasted his frigid tone. "You need to fix this right _now_. I don't care what exactly that seal does or why you did it, not that you ever needed a reason to screw with my life, but you need to fix this now. You _must_ remove that seal from my kid now." Yato left no room for an argument in his tone and his eyes were aflame.

"I can't do that." Father replied breezily and somehow the fire rose to new heights in Yato's eyes until he had a pair of glowing suns on his face. "What's with that look? I'm not refusing to help you. I'm telling you I literally am unable to remove that seal."

"What?" Yato's voice did not warm up though he visibly calmed.

"But," Yukine hadn't meant to speak up, however, he couldn't keep this in because these were _his_ precious memories Father was talking about. "You're the one who put the seal on me so can't you just reverse the process?"

"Did you really think I'd make it so simple?" A flash of genuine irritation crossed Father's face before it slithered back under his mask of arrogance. "Let me break it down for you." He turned to Yato who was simmering in silence, however, they both knew there was nothing they could do except listen.

"That seal on Yukine's back is a copy of the name you gave Yukine. All I did was clone the original, tweak it, and then place it back on him. The only difference between the two is how they function, but its function doesn't really matter." Yukine thought it mattered very much how one name represented that Yato choose him to be his kid while the other was ravaging his memories and could potentially leave him in a cationic state. "What matters is that the seal is a name, so if you want to get a name off a shinki..."

"You release them." Yato offered breathlessly while his skin paled as a terrible conclusion washed over him.

"Exactly, there's your answer!" Father gave him a mocking clap and Yukine recovered enough to glare at him for daring to mock his god. "If you want to get rid of the seal, release the name Yuki and his memories will return to him."

Yukine's eyes widened as the implication slammed into him and Yato's grip intensified around him until he could hardly move yet Yukine didn't dare to break the silence.

"Are you saying..." The ice had shattered in Yato's voice and suddenly his master sounded much younger and the shinki felt him trembling. "I have to release Yukine?"

"No, just the name Yuki." Feigned surprise came upon Father's face. "Oh, it seems the name I sealed his memories with is the same name you gave him. In that case, as the god that gave him the name 'Yuki' only you have the power to retrieve Yukine's memories, but by releasing one of those names you would actually release him from both names." All emotion fled Father's face and only a chilling certainty remained. "I did warn you, Yukine."

Yato was reeling from what had been said and Yukine spotted the horror inching onto Yato's expression. "No, you're lying, there has to be another way." The desperation leaking into his god's voice wounded him on a personal level because Yukine felt the same desperation chipping away at his hope.

"That's the only way I know how to release a shinki of an unwanted name, but if you want to find another way, be my guest." Father made a grand sweeping motion. "Though you should keep in mind that Yukine is running out of time."

The ominous implication returned, and disturbed, Yukine couldn't remain silent. "Why do you keep saying that? What's going to happen to me?" He had a good idea what Father meant, and didn't really want to hear it, yet he needed to know for sure.

"That name is supposed to seal all your memories, and that's exactly what it will do. At most you have one day left before your memories are gone, and sure your friends could tell you what you've forgotten, but the seal will eventually take away those memories too. You will never be able to retain any memories for more than two or three days so if your master really cares about you," Father removed his piercing gaze from Yukine, but it changed nothing because Father's reply had already demolished any hope Yukine had formed this morning. The shinki could no longer tell who was shaking more, himself or Yato because his master was barely keeping it together.

"Your master will do the right thing and release you." Father was staring straight at his god and the smirk was back. "Otherwise Yukine could wake up tomorrow and view you as a stranger, and this will happen over and over again for the rest of his existence." Father watched without remorse as Yato stumbled back, incidentally dragging Yukine back with him, and master and shinki could not fight off the horror and despair overcoming them.

"Y-Yato." His voice was so faint he doubted his master heard him, but still felt his master's grip tighten and it was hard to breathe. Though Yukine couldn't tell if it was his panic causing that or his master's death-grip on him. As if Yukine could slip away if Yato gave him an inch of breathing room.

Father observed their reaction without emotion. "I'm honestly surprised you didn't put this together sooner, don't you remember how Hiyori's bout of amnesia went? It starts with Yato and then everything else goes too."

Yukine felt an ounce of puzzlement overshadow his horror because what was Father talking about? "Hiyori never had amnesia." Yukine voiced his thoughts and Father's grin widened while Yato's head snapped down to stare at him like he had committed a sin.

"Yukine, don't you remember?" Yato jostled him a little in an attempt to stir up the memory he didn't have.

"I...I don't..." Yukine's lips trembled and his eyes moistened because he saw how heartbroken his master was and knew he really had forgotten something. He tried desperately to recall Hiyori losing her memory, but all he got was a mild headache before he reluctantly gave up.

"Yes, she did." Yato was practically yelling and Yukine flinched in his hold. "We were talking about it at the diner. Don't you remember crying at the..." Yato didn't finish the question, he could tell the memory was long gone based on Yukine's expression of despair.

Father made a tsking sound before turning away. "If it makes it easier, ask yourself, do you really want a shinki that will always forget you?" Father walked off and soon blended with the crowds of people down the sidewalk.

Yukine's legs shook and he stumbled out of Yato's hold since his master's grip had grown weak. "Yato." He stood before his god and tried to figure out what he was thinking, but Yato wasn't looking at him and his forehead was furrowed. This scared Yukine because it meant Yato was thinking about this, he was thinking about releasing him.

"There's a-another way, right?" Yukine grasped the front of Yato's tracksuit, but his god only tilted his mournful gaze towards him. Yukine's hold slackened and he stepped away because it was over. He was never getting his memories back.

Yukine was never coming back to Yato.

* * *

Yato had banished himself to their room and Yukine could not stay in the empty home. It was too quiet without Kofuk and Daikoku and his thoughts were too loud so he went out for a walk. He wanted to clear his head and hoped the walk would allow him to release some of his negative emotions. He didn't want to feel this distraught and doubted Yato could recover with his hafuri feeling such negativity. He wanted to be a good shinki for his master, considering he only had a day left of remembering he was Yato's shinki.

Yukine's eyes burned and it was a struggle not to weep like a baby because he was helpless. There was nothing he could do to save himself and nothing Yato could do. It was horrible to be at the mercy of the seal, and he would do practically anything to get rid of it because he didn't want to forgot everyone, however, there was no point in getting his memories back simply to realize he could never be Yato's regalia again either. It made him sick to even consider getting a new master, he didn't want anyone else! He wanted to keep Yato!

His hand flew back to claw at the seal on his back and he dug his nails into his skin, not enough to break it -he didn't want to blight Yato by harming himself. If only he could could rip the seal off and fling it into the nearest river, but like with a deadly disease, he doubted that would do anything. The seal was destroying him from the inside and very soon the choice would be taken out of their hands, and Yukine wouldn't even recall the indecision killing him now.

"You should leave him." Nora's sudden appearance off to the side of the path startled him, but anger rushed in his veins right after.

"Stay out of this, Nora. I'm not abandoning Yato." He allowed anger to fuel him because at least his anger gave him the illusion of being in control, having power.

"It would be easier on you both if you asked. He would never forgive himself if he had to release you against your will." That was perhaps the most truthful thing Nora had ever said to him, and Yukine hated how this struck him. It was so easy to picture his god releasing Yukine for his own good. He'd even help Yukine find a new master, but neither of them wanted that.

"It will hurt Yato to watch his own hafuri forget him day after day. I didn't know you could be so cruel." Her dark eyes implored him as if daring him to counter, but Yukine was too busy contending with his guilt to think of one. She was right, for Yato would be in a great amount of pain if he had to be forgotten on a constant basis. It hurt Yato simply watching random humans forget, and if his own shinki forgot him every two days, it would be more than a little disheartening over time.

"There..." Yukine tried to think of something, anything, and Nora watched patiently because she was confident he could think of none. "There could be another..." His frame trembled as well as his voice. The tears he had held inside were breaking through the cracks of the dam he'd built and Yukine felt his heart giving in.

"Don't listen to her!" Hiyori's voice broke him from Nora's trance and he spun around to see Hiyori was standing behind him.

"H-Hiyori?" He observed with parted lips as Hiyori marched over to him, her pink eyes soft yet bright with emotion. She looked ready to cry or perhaps already had. She had come from the direction of Kofuku's place so maybe she had talked to Yato already.

"She's wrong, Yukine." Hiyori placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "When I lost my memory, you and Yato never gave up on me. You fought for me and my memories even when it seemed hopeless. Do you know what that taught me?" Her eyes misted over with a tender look.

"It showed me I didn't need memories to be your friend. I didn't recognize either of you, but I never forgot in my heart how precious you two were to me. Looking back on that, I know you two wouldn't have treated me any differently even if I never got my memories back. Sure, memories might make our bonds stronger, but with or without them we'll be there for you, Yukine."

A lone tear streaked down Yukine's face and his expression broke because he believed her, but it still wasn't fair. He didn't want to forget Yato or her-

Yukine stopped breathing before he started up at a frantic pace. The girl's expression morphed into surprise and concern. "What is it?"

"I c-can't remember." Yukine choked out as more tears rolled down his face.

"Remember what?" She let her hand drop from his shoulder, her expression becoming pinched as a sense of foreboding came over her.

"I can't remember your name!" He cried as the tears streamed down his face.

Her hands flew to cover her mouth before she flung herself into his arms, but it did no good for either of them.

Her name was gone. Yukine attempted to recall it, but the seal flared and his head pounded. Father was right, Yukine was already forgetting. He recognized this girl, remembered her more than his own master, and she was a dear friend yet her name would not come.

"Yato?" Yukine called on instinct and savored the bitter-sweet taste of his master's name on his tongue because it could be very well be the last time he even remembered it.

* * *

 **And the plot thickens! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter because next chapter is the finale (not counting a sixth chapter for the epilogue). Next week let's see how things turn out ;)**

 **See ya then!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the support, guys! Please enjoy the final chapter below!**

 **Shishi- Aw, thanks, it means a lot to have such a loyal follower like you ^_^ Lol that's okay! I tend to read stories so late at night, I fall asleep before I can review them and don't remember to do so until it's night again XD**

 **Lol Yato has that "good dad" smell, I'm sure Yukine will pick up on it.**

* * *

She told Yukine her name was Hiyori, but the second that name registered in his head, a pounding headache sent him to his knees while his back and chest crackled and burned. He immediately let the name slip away and could no longer recall what the girl told him, but remembered she was a good friend so accepted her help in getting home since his gait was now unsteady. Though Yukine wasn't sure whether it was the pain he just endured unbalancing him or the hole in his heart because this girl was one of his best friends, yet already he was forgetting her.

Yukine had the silly urge to write a list of all the things he had forgotten, but considering he had forgotten them, he had no idea which memories were missing. Really, how much was gone now? Ten percent? Twenty? Less or more?

Yukine didn't know. He didn't know what he had forgotten. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know. He didn't know. He didn't know.

The girl settled him in front of his home and they sat there in front of the open doorway. He sensed her eyes -pretty pink eyes ruined by tears- resting on him. She fidgeted and sniffled, though she tried to muffle the sound with her pink scarf -that scarf was familiar, hadn't he worn it once? Yukine didn't fault her for being emotional because he was still crying a little himself since he was losing her and understood the toll would only grow from here on out.

Kofuku and Daikoku. Bishamon and Suzuha. Yato. Everything would drain away until he was nothing. Then again, the girl beside him said the same thing happened to her and she was alright, so maybe he would be too. Though she'd implied it essentially took a miracle to save her and miracles weren't the commonest thing in the world.

With a sigh, he recognized that sitting here and crying was doing neither of them good -he hated that he made her cry- so Yukine wiped the tears away. "Did you talk to Yato?" His voice was scratchy so he cleared it while his friend turned to him.

"Not really," she scrubbed at her tear stains until no evidence of her misery remained. "He only told me the basics of what his father said and then asked me to make sure you were okay."

Yukine mumbled an "oh" and gazed up into the cloudy gray sky. "Thanks," he still felt horrible, but knowing that she had went through a similar experience took the edge off his misery. "Would you mind telling Yato all that stuff about memories that you told me? Maybe it would cheer him up." He didn't look away from a couple of snowflakes twirling in the breeze.

His friend made a surprised sound and her eyes lingered on him before she got the hint. "Okay, I will, but don't stay out here too long or you'll catch a cold."

His lips twitched into a fond smile because she was always looking out for him and he had no doubt come what may that she would treat him the same way tomorrow. Unfortunately he couldn't guarantee her the same thing as she rose up and left to find his sulking god.

Yukine observed more snowflakes drifting through the air and it hit him that it had almost been a year since he got his name. Nearly a year's worth of memories and Yukine was losing them all. He was losing himself too, for what was a person without their memories? An empty shell. Nothing.

"Yukine?"

His head shot up and his hands balled into fists. "What do you want?" He hissed, but Kazuma didn't react to his aggression except to slightly raise his eyebrow. Though Kazuma's face quickly smoothed into one of neutrality.

"I came to check on you. I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner, but Bisham-"

"You're sorry about that?" Yukine scoffed as everything shattered because he was losing his memory, his master, his friends, himself, and he hated it. "What about when you forced me to speak about Father? And by the way it's his fault I have this damn seal on my back, which is doing a lot worse than taking my memories of Yato."

"It's sealing all my memories, and it doesn't even do it all at once. No, it likes dragging it out so I'm aware of what's happening, but I can't do anything about it. The only way to get rid of it is having Yato release me, b-but I don't want that! Y-Yato doesn't want that a-and I don't know what to do! I can't even remember her name, tell me, what's her _name_? I know she's my friend and I can't remember, I can't remember!"

Yukine threw his face into his hands and tears leaked through the cracks between his fingers. His crying was loud and messy, and it felt useless to cry at this point, tears didn't help, but he was trapped. He was scared, utterly terrified, and trapped. Every second that ticked by was another memory slipping through his fingers and leaving Yukine a little emptier.

He heard the creak as Kazuma took a seat beside him, and wanted to scream at him to go away, but his energy was spent. The silence lasted a while with only his hitched breathing and mournful wails breaking it. However, after a couple of minutes of this, his eyes dried and his breathing edged closer to normalcy.

"You should try to be more like this for as long as you can. It would serve Yato better as well as yourself." Kazuma spoke in a smooth whisper. Yukine didn't react much, however, because his emotions had been drained by recent events and now he was mostly numb.

Kazuma waited a moment, perhaps anticipating a reply, but when he got none, asked, "How long before your memories are gone?"

Yukine toyed with the idea of giving him the silent treatment, but that would require effort and he wasn't angry enough for that. "Maybe a day, maybe less than that." The older shinki hummed while Yukine used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe any traces of his tears, though he doubted it helped since the amount of crying he had done today had probably left his eyes bloodshot.

"We should go inside." Kazuma rose and Yukine wondered why he bothered, but then a hand was offered to him. He eyed the hand and trailed the arm up to that solemn face and steady gaze. Something about Kazuma's calm demeanor eased Yukine's mind so reluctantly he accepted his hand and stood.

His body was wracked with tremors as he walked over to the table, which oddly enough had a tea pot emitting heat as if it contained freshly made tea -maybe his friend made it. He sat down and Kazuma seated himself across. Yukine focused on the glass teapot with only white noise playing in his head. It was getting late, at least he assumed sunset already happened, but the sky was hidden by cotton clouds so he was uncertain.

"You didn't find anything that could help me, did you?" Yukine's tone was flat and strained.

He didn't dare look up and check Kazuma's expression as the hafuri sighed. "We came to the same conclusion as you. Only releasing you of the name 'Yuki' would take off the seal. Unfortunately, that would remove the name Yato gave you as well." His words were not delivered unkindly and sympathy was peeking through his mask.

Yukine nodded and exhaled heavily because he hadn't held any hope, hadn't even thought of Kazuma since Nora first showed up. Though he appreciated Bishamon and even Kazuma for trying and figured both had empathy for his situation. Perhaps Kazuma understood most of all as a fellow hafuri.

"What would you do if you forgot Bishamon?"

Kazuma, who had been in the process of pouring a cup of tea, jolted and nearly tipped over the tea cup before he regained composer. "Veena..." His eyes glazed over and the shinki ducked his head, but didn't manage to hide the way his lips pressed together.

Instantly mild guilt pricked him and Yukine realized he should not have asked. Besides, Kazuma's opinion did not matter, he reminded himself sourly -or was he forgetting memories of Kazuma's betrayal now? He tried to retract the question, but Kazuma's head lifted and that look on his face pinned Yukine in place so his jaw snapped close.

"I am Bishamon's hafuri," Kazuma's jaw was clenched and there was an intensity darkening the forest green of his eyes. "It's my job to be at her side forever, always." His focus scorched Yukine with its heat and behind that fire rested a feeling so tender and fragile, he felt wrong for having caught sight of it. Like Yukine had walked into a conversation he wasn't meant to have heard.

Thankfully Kazuma severed the connection by looking down at the tea cup. He lifted the saucer the cup was on and placed it on Yukine's side of the table. Then he nodded before standing.

"I must get back to Bishamon." Kazuma hurried to walk away, but paused on threshold to the outside world. Yukine hadn't moved his gaze from the tea, mind stuck on Kazuma's answer and the implications of it, but felt those eyes on him. "Yato always finds a way." The _eventually_ part of that statement was implied, but Kazuma didn't acknowledge it before he stepped out to return to his master.

Yukine automatically grabbed a hold of the now lukewarm tea and sipped at it while his mind spun. Kazuma was correct, a hafuri's job was to be at their god's side. Yet how could he guide Yato without memories, when he would be the one in need of guidance come end of day tomorrow.

 _"I didn't need memories to be your friend."_

The girl's words rang in his head and Yukine set the cup down. He stared at the steaming liquid it contained and saw how empty the cup looked, yet the cup was still a cup. The phrase sounded ridiculous and he wanted to slap himself for thinking it, but it made sense to him. It was his answer.

Yukine got to his feet and took his time walking up the stairs until he stood outside the partially closed door. Hiyori spotted him after a second, she had been kneeling next to Yato who was hiding in a cave of blankets so only his hair was visible. She whispered something to his master before rising and walking over to Yukine.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." The girl smiled a small smile and he managed a shaky smile back before she departed from their home.

Yukine took a second to gather his courage before wandering into the room. His master didn't acknowledge him as he sat cross-legged next to where he assumed Yato was facing. He noted how this scene reminded him of his master sulking prior to when that girl handed him the shrine she'd made, though he didn't recall how Yato looked that day, he figured his master probably looked similar to now.

"Hey, bakagami," Yukine smiled softly as he nudged his master with his foot, which earned him an indiscernible noise, but at least it was a reaction. "Guess what I figured out." He tried to muster up as much positive emotion as he could because he wanted Yato to sense it, but if it worked, his god was ignoring the sensation.

Yukine's grin dimmed yet he maintained it. "I was thinking if you ever got reincarnated you would forget me, right?" There was definite movement, perhaps a stiffening of the body under the covers yet Yukine carried on in idle tone. "You would lose all your memories, but that wouldn't really change much. We would just explain what had happened, and maybe our relationship wouldn't be what it is now, but you would still want me and Hiyori and everyone to stay with you, right?"

Yukine leaned down and his volume was dropped to a whisper. "So it doesn't really change anything if I lose my memories. You'd still want me here with you...right?" The barest hint of fear trickled in his voice because he believed, yet there was doubt.

Until the covers flew up and arms wrapped around him warm and tight. "You're always going to be my kid." Yato squeezed him hard and Yukine did his best to hug him back while a smile wobbled on his trembling lips because Yato still wanted him. He was practically damaged goods come tomorrow, and would be nowhere near a proper hafuri and Yato didn't care because Yukine wasn't simply some shinki or hafuri to him, he was his kid.

The amnesia would hurt, Yukine was certain it would hurt them, but he had made his choice. He could always form new memories, even if they were short-lived ones, but there was only one Yato, so by his side Yukine would remain.

Forever.

* * *

He ended up on Yato's futon, snuggled under the covers and using Yato's chest as a pillow. Yato kept his arm coiled around him in a loose hold for hours and Yukine marveled at this because something told him his god moved around a lot in his sleep. He was given an explanation at midnight when Yato proved to be awake by telling him not to be afraid. Funny, Yukine had not realized he was forcing himself to stay up because he was terrified if he shut his eyes then he would wake up on a stranger and he didn't want to forget Yato -not yet, _please_. However, Yato promised it would be okay and Yukine trusted him so he allowed his eyelids to fall close and sleep was instant.

When he woke up and his eyelids parted, blue eyes were staring down at him and probably had been for a while. However, his head was pounding and those eyes belonged to the person responsible for taking him away from his peaceful slumber. Thus the shinki simply kicked the god aside, ignored the thump he heard as he rolled away from the sunlight, and ordered Yato to give him another ten minutes. However, rather than listen, his idiot master turned him over and Yukine squinted at the wide, toothy grin on Yato's face because no one should be this happy in the morning.

"You remember me!"

Yukine scowled because his head hurt and his god was so loud and no one had the right to be so cheerful this early, but it seemed the hyperactive god would not allow him another second of peace so he grudgingly climbed out of bed. When Yato cheered over this motion as if Yukine were a baby taking his first steps, the shinki purposely stepped on his toes as he marched out the room, covering his ears from Yato's high-pitched shriek, and entered the sanctuary of the bathroom.

He turned on the sink and splashed cold water on his face, which helped clear the grogginess and toned down the drums playing in his head. However, it soon occurred to him what day it was and why he had a headache. His memories would be gone by the end of the day. Who knew how many were lost during the night.

A concoction of emotions briefly overwhelmed him. He wanted to cry, he wanted to hit something, he wanted to run away, but most of all he wanted Yato to tell him it would be alright and hold him again.

He shook his head because all those ideas were childish and solved nothing. Besides, he had made his decision.

His resolve clamped the lid on his tumultuous emotions and he calmed. Yukine reached back and patted the area he estimated the seal to be. The skin there was warm. He touched the name on his collarbone and found it was similarly warm. Assuming the level of heat would rise the closer he came to total amnesia, Yukine figured he had plenty of time left -even if he wished there was more time.

Though what Yukine really wished for was to have one, last normal day. Thus Yukine walked out with a smile to hide the light headache that thrummed in the back of his mind. Yato was pacing in circles outside, but halted when he saw Yukine.

"You ready for breakfast, kid?" Yato asked with a wide smile. It struck him then that Yato and he had the same wish. The way the god bounced on the balls of his feet, had accepted his grouchy mistreatment this morning, and how excited he got over the smallest things Yukine did. Yato just wanted a normal day for as long as they could manage, and for once, Yukine would be the one answering his master's wishes.

"By breakfast, you mean you want to sit back and relax while I buy us food?" He scowled and crossed his arms.

An emotion much deeper and tender than was appropriate to his jest flashed over Yato's face before it cleared and Yato grinned. "A food offering is always welcomed-"

Of course Yukine smacked him on his way downstairs because the idiot never changed, but Yukine preferred him that way.

* * *

They basically kidnapped the girl. Yato teleported over her house, grabbed her, and then teleported them all to the festival with hardly a greeting. As typical, the pink-eyed girl smacked Yato into oblivion because it was rude to barge in like that. Thankfully she had been planning to leave soon and already her pink tail was bouncing behind her.

This time the festival was in full swing and Yukine gawked at the swarms of people in the area. He could have sworn the festival hadn't looked nearly as nice the first time. The lights were brighter to the point of blinding with their radiance, and the hustle and bustle of the crowds made everything seem livelier.

"Come on, pleeease!" Yato begged the girl and Yukine turned to see she had crossed her arms. Her hair whipping in the breeze -didn't she have a hat on yesterday?- only added to her intimidating figure.

"I already said no, Yato!" She huffed, looking like an annoyed mother. Yato certainly nailed the whining child role.

Yato turned to him with puppy-dog eyes and put his hands together. "You'll come with me, won't you?" He had to wonder how Yato managed to make his eyes shine when he wanted to feign being on the verge of tears, but mostly he was confused. He hadn't been listening to their conversation and scrambled to put it together.

"Um, I guess, what-"

Yato sprung up and grasped his arms with a wide grin. Then he spun Yukine around and suddenly he understood what had gotten Yato excited. A ferries wheel -that certainly hadn't been there yesterday- loomed over them from afar, which explained why everything seemed brighter today. The ferries wheel had enough lights decorating it to light up a small town.

"Hey, isn't that..."

Yukine glanced at the girl on his side and followed her gaze over to see a familiar face standing tall among the crowds.

"Daikoku?!" Yukine, Yato, and she exclaimed at the same time. Thus the regalia easily heard them and looked mildly surprise once he spotted them.

Daikoku walked over to them, but didn't get to speak before Yato draped himself over the shinki. "Hey, buddy, where have you been?"

"I told you," The shinki spared him a look of annoyance before shrugging off the god. He probably would have done more, but he was carrying a travel bag and looked harried. "Kofuku and I have been searching every shop for it since yesterday morning."

Daikoku turned to Yukine. "By the way, she is very sorry for taking so long to find it. Also, we're sorry we haven't been here for you during everything." The gruff edge to his voice lessened as the shinki frowned.

Yukine shook his head. "No, it's alright." He paused when it occurred to him he didn't know what Kofuku was apologizing to him for. What was this "it"?

The girl stepped up to Daikoku and peered around him. "Hm?" A curious expression came upon her face. "Isn't Kofuku with you?"

Daikoku grimaced. "She was, but she saw something around here that caught her eye and now I can't find her."

The teenage girl blinked before smiling. "Oh, it's so nice of you to worry about her like that."

Suddenly a series of cries broke through the crowds and the chattering around them became a hushed whisper. The trio looked around rapidly to find the disturbance and Yukine flinched when he heard metal screeching.

Daikoku sighed and covered his face with his free hand. "It wasn't her I was worried about."

Yukine still didn't get it until Yato started wailing and the god fell to his knees while holding out a hand dramatically in the direction of the ferries wheel, which had apparently screeched to a stop.

"Nooooo, I wanted to ride that!" Yato sobbed, pounding his fists into the ground like an upset toddler.

Meanwhile Yukine's ears picked up the faintest sound of what could be mad cackling -Kofuku?

Apparently Daikoku was thinking the same thing because he tossed a goodbye to them before rushing into the thick crowds that were surrounding the unmoving ride, which creaked ominously when the conductor frantically messed with the controls and a few of its passengers screamed again.

"Don't worry, Yato, there's still plenty of shops to check on. Maybe we'll even seen a man in a capyper costu- I mean, a capyper around here!" She squeaked and Yukine wondered when she had learned about Yato's belief that capypers were real. Maybe Yato told her when he wasn't around.

"You're right!" Yato bounced up and pointed at a parked van that contained capyper-themed merchandise within it. "And I've got money to spend now!" Yato pulled out a couple of bills and waved them in the girl's face, but Yukine's eyes narrowed because those bills were oddly familiar.

"Hey, drippy!" Yukine marched over to Yato and the god immediately threw his hands behind his back to hide the money. "Did you steal from me again?"

"Uhhh-"

"Yato!" The girl cried out, scandalized. "Is this what you call setting an example? Are you trying to turn Yukine into a criminal?"

Yato looked at each of them for a long moment, a nervous sweat drop rolled down his forehead, he opened his mouth, and made a run for it to the capyper shop.

"Bakagami!"

"Yato!" The girl and him equally raged before chasing after him. Though, Yukine allowed the girl to run ahead as the sudden movement intensified his headache. He winced and rubbed his temples in an effort to lessen the pain, however, this proved futile.

Yukine sighed and recognized he would simply have to deal with the headache as he trudged into the store. Perhaps he could find something for his pain in the aisle. He doubted it when he caught sight of some ugly t-shirts and footsie pajamas that displayed capypers all over them.

He poked one of the capyper bobble heads and watched it shake while wondering why Yato had even dragged him to Capypaland. Better question, how did Yato get the money for tickets? Wait, no, Yato hadn't bought tickets.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Yato rounded the corner and before Yukine could go off, the money was placed in his hands. "There you go! Sorry about that, but you really should find a better hiding spot!" His god smiled cheekily and Yukine placed his hands on his sides.

"I shouldn't need a hiding spot in the first place!" Yukine was seething, which didn't help his throbbing head, but he did his best to ignore that. Though, the unnatural warmth on his back and chest was distracting.

Yato fortunately didn't notice and shrugged. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I got her to buy us matching capyper sweatshirts. They're so cute and they look like that one I found in the trash!"

Yukine facepalmed. "It was in the trash for a reason! That sweater was hideous so she better be buying you, and only you, that ridiculous thing!"

The girl -his friend?- returned with two bags in hand and an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Yukine. He only agreed to give you the money back if I got you one too." She handed him one of the bags and Yukine grudgingly accepted it while Yato snatched his and performed his happy dance.

"This is the best offering from you yet!" He quickly squeezed the girl to his chest and red flared on her cheeks, but then Yato was skipping out the door before she could hit him.

"Sorry he's such a bother." Yukine offered with a sigh and the girl shook her head while groaning, though there was a tiny smile on her face. They walked out the door together and Yato impatiently asked what took them so long, despite it taking like one minute.

An abrupt breeze chilled them all and Yukine tried to hug himself, but there was a bag weighing down his arm. He eyed the bag in confusion because he didn't recall buying anything and tried asking Yato, but there was a girl with a pink tail -what was that?- talking to him.

"Yukine." Yato snapped his head over to him, a serious frown on his face and concern radiating from him, but Yukine didn't understand. Who was this girl? Were they on a job? Why did she have a tail?

Yukine would have continued asking, but the girl's heartbroken expression as she gasped his name left him mute. He turned to Yato for answers, but his master looked stricken and now the girl's eyes were glassy and he didn't get it. What was wrong? Was it something he said?

The hole in his heart told him there was indeed something terribly wrong, but his mind drew a blank as the first tears dribbled down her face.

* * *

"I knew her, didn't I?" Yukine sat huddled in front of the river while his god stood behind him. He plucked at strands of grass peeking from the icy dirt. The wind cut through the cloth of his jacket, but he didn't feel it because he was apathetic to everything right now. It was apathy or have a meltdown, and he remembered enough to know he had enough of those lately.

Yato sighed before quietly saying, "Yes, she's a friend of ours."

Yukine's hand stopped moving and his fingers hung limply so the grass tickled the tips. He hummed a little in thought before turning his gaze to the bleak horizon. "Do I have a lot of friends?" The words slipped out of his mouth while his chest and back burned like the steam of a furnace was aimed at his name and seal. "Because at this point I only remember Suzuha and he's gone so I don't think he counts." Yato gasped behind him and the rapid approach of boots slapping against the marshy landscape resembled nails on a chalkboard due to his migraine.

"What do you mean that's the only one?" Yato crouched in front of him and every line of his face went towards his expression of dismay and concern. "Why didn't you tell me you had already forgotten so much?" He reached out and grasped Yukine's shoulders.

Yukine shrugged as resignation made his whole body sag under Yato's hands. "What's the point? I could have told you I had a headache and the names hurt, but what does that do except make you worry and remind me that I'm almost completely empty?"

Yato reeled back at the information, shock and horror crossing his face before there was only sympathy. "You still could have told me. Maybe you don't recall, but I told you that you can always tell me anything." The sincerity in his eyes was painful to see and Yukine wished he could remember if his god ever looked at him that way before or if this was a special occasion.

His wall of calm cracked at the thought, but he kept it up to the best of his ability. "Well, maybe I don't want to talk about how all I have to do is blink and the next second I won't recognize you." His voice shook, but he refused to cry because he wanted to be happy and make Yato happy because he wasn't sure he would ever get the chance to after the next hour -his skin was boiling beneath the seal and the end was near.

"Oh, kid..."

"I don't want to forget you, Yato. I just got you back and I don't want to forget you, Yato." He wondered if he said Yato's name enough times he could engrave it in the muscle memory of his mouth. Then when he forgot, some part of him would still know the name "Yato" was important. Though when Yato suddenly stuffed him into his arms and let Yukine clutch him back with all his might, he hoped the muscles of their arms would remember this. Then after he forgot his master, all Yato would have to do was hug him and tell Yukine his name and Yukine would know he was home.

A phone chime startled them out of their embrace, and though Yato pulled the phone out his pocket, he eyed it with disdain and quickly moved to put it away.

Yukine caught his wrist and implored Yato with his eyes. "Answer it, it's probably a job."

Yato frowned at him, but Yukine squeezed his thin wrist. "Please, we haven't done a job since this mess started."

Yato ran a searching gaze over the shinki as the phone ringed again, but soon had flipped open his phone and his entire demeanor became one of enthusiasm as he answered the caller in an upbeat tone. Yukine waited patiently for the conversation to conclude.

He felt like he should say something, but Yukine didn't feel like himself anymore. It was as if there was a disconnect between him and his emotions. There was something missing, not simply his memories, but like the core of him was hollowed out and now he was lifeless. Yet this didn't concern him too much, though he thought it should.

Yato hung up and sent the phone a quizzical expression before sliding it in his pocket. "Well that was Kaz-"

Yukine winced as a flash of green eyes behind glasses ruptured his mind and the seal flared. Yato instantly quieted and observed Yukine's recovery before he made the hand motion for his master to go on.

"It was a job. There are some large ayakashi nearby and he was wondering if we could take them out."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Yukine sprung to his feet, lips easing into a loose smile.

Yato rose, but was eyeing Yukine with a raised brow. "I don't think you're in any condition to-"

"I've forgotten a lot, Yato, but not the fact I'm your shinki and we always take out ayakashi. I think you even have a quota." Yukine smirked.

Yato smiled, though it was strained. "Yeah, I guess I have been slacking." Worry darkened those blue eyes until they were black. "Are you sure about this?"

Yukine bobbed his head. "I just want to be your shinki." He didn't add in the "while I still can" because Yato released a choked noise as if that was already on his mind.

"Okay." Yato muttered and wound an arm around his shoulder before teleporting them to an empty park. There were tall buildings surrounding the patch of nature, but no people around except themselves and a group of rather large ayakashi.

However, Yato payed them no mind as he gave Yukine another concerned look. Yet Yukine nodded, and though his master hesitated, Yato raised his hand. "Sekki."

Yukine smiled as the sensation of change washed over him and suddenly it didn't hurt so much. His headache was there and so was the burning names, but the pain was dulled. Perhaps no longer being in a physical form lessened his physical pains, but Yukine couldn't remember if this was a normal part of the change.

"Try and focus, Yukine." Yato warned him in the kindest way possible and he nodded.

He narrowed his eyes at their target, which was a green and violet striped, serpent-like ayakashi that had picked up their scent and was now charging them. Yukine smirked because the creature and the other ayakashi that were joining it while releasing loud roars had no idea what was coming. His master sprinted forward, Yukine sharpened, and the serpent was sliced to ribbons within a matter of seconds.

This was how the next minutes or hours went -Yukine lost track- as they worked together to destroy these creatures, lessening the evil in the world with every slice. Every second of battle was bliss to Yukine because it felt right. He was doing what he was meant to do alongside the person that mattered the most to him.

Though there was one odd hiccup when Yato paused mid-slice. A surprised expression had been on his master's face, but the god had recovered in time to dodge the strike of claws from the last of the ayakashi. Though Yukine purposely sharpened as much as he could to make the final battle easier. Thus the last ayakashi was felled and Yato landed in a crouch before straightening. Yukine cheered and had the ridiculous urge to clap, but when Yato smiled at him, Yukine didn't feel foolish as long as it made Yato happy.

However, Yato did not dismiss him, but started staring at the handle of one of the katana. Yukine peered down at the sword and blinked when he saw it. "Is that my name?" He eyed the red kanji letters peeking beneath the white bandages.

Yato nodded, but wasn't looking at him. "I think it's the seal, it has to be." The god seemed completely puzzled, however, Yukine couldn't imagine why it mattered. The seal appearing on the katana only showed how strongly the seal was engraved on Yukine's soul.

Yato must have figured the same thing because he slowly lowered the swords. "Revert, Yuki."

Yukine materialized across from his god and Yato smiled, but Yukine could no appreciate this when his migraine was shrouding his mind in a fever haze.

"I was thinking maybe we could get ice cream or something to eat at your favorit-"

An inferno of heat stamped into his names and his mind cracked open. Yukine collapsed and Yato dove to catch him because his hands were busy clawing at his head because it hurt terribly. Everything was leaving him, all his memories were being dragged under the seal and he couldn't stop screaming. His body was in agony and his master was shouting and Yukine felt the scraps of his memories of Yato being snatched.

Most of the memories of his master had been carved out with only the blurry edges remaining, but now the seal tore even the scraps away. Yukine tried to wrangle them in, but the pain was all consuming and he was losing. He saw flashes of memories that pierced his mind over and over again while his world faded into darkness because he was empty and nothingness was a black hole.

"-ki!"

A sound broke through his eternal torment.

"Sek-"

He had no idea what these noises were and yet that voice... The tone was garbled and clogged and shrill. He didn't like it.

"...Sekki!" Yet it reminded him of a place, a blue river that led to somewhere nice. Yukine forced his arm up and reached out the pit of eternal darkness he had been flung into and suddenly he was in a world of colors and sounds.

"Y-Yukine?!" That voice, unsteady and full of terror turned out to belong to that blue-eyed god who was holding katanas.

"Yato." The name slipped past his lips and the god smiled, though it took him a moment to recall this was his god. Yes, Yato, the one he had been losing. He frowned as his most recent memories returned to him and realized this scenario was impossible.

"How did you- Why did you call me?" He managed to get out and his body trembled because he had almost lost everything and that danger was still here, but Yato had saved him.

"I took a gamble." Yato stared down at the katana and both their eyes landed on the seal marring the weapon. "I noticed that you felt happier when you were in this form and I thought it was worth a shot." His lips dipped down and his eyebrows furrowed. "But I can't keep you like this forever."

Yukine briefly shuddered at the thought of being in weapon form for days on end. Only able to communicate with Yato and amnesia still clouding his mind. However, he soon refocused on the task at hand.

"You're right, I was happier like this." His god looked up from scrutinizing the seal. "My headache and my chest don't hurt as much when I'm like this." Besides those mild irritations, Yukine felt fine. He wasn't at his best, but the pain was manageable and his head was clearer.

"I think there's something here, Yukine, something we can use." Yato's eyes darted around as he fell into deep thought. He muttered under his breath random syllables, but nothing Yukine could understand. Meanwhile Yukine examined himself because it was his body being affected by the change into weapon form. Believing there to be a connection, he glanced at his arms and legs, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He brushed his fingers over his head, prodded at the name on his collarbone, and patted the seal on his back. Wait, that was it!

"Yato!" His outburst caused his master to jump and nearly drop the katana he had been looking over. His gaze swept over Yukine in a desperate search for injuries, but Yukine grabbed his face to stop him.

"Can you look at my back? Tell me what the seal looks like." He didn't wait for a reply before turning and tugging down the back of his jacket and shirt collar. He waited with bated breath for a second and smiled when his master gasped.

"It's not there." Yato took a step closer and Yukine remained still, only craning his neck back to spot his master's gobsmacked expression. "The seal is gone." Yukine rotated around and practically hopped in place because they were getting somewhere!

Yato's eyes swung from the seal on the katana back to Yukine and his eyes were wide and round. "It's like the seal transferred from your body to here."

Yukine tilted his head. "Maybe the seal got mixed up. Since the katana is technically my other form, and when I'm like this, it's the only tangible form of me."

"That makes sense. The seal thinks this is your body." Yato's eyes narrowed, but Yukine's mind was whirling because this was great news. He was free of the seal and now all Yato had to do was find a way to get the seal off the katana. Maybe they could visit Kazuma and Bishamon or maybe even Kofuku could help.

"Hey, my memories..."

Yato snapped to attention. "What about them?" Trepidation filled his tone, but Yukine's grin eased him.

"No, they're coming back. I think I can remember more things."

Yato blinked before a radiant grin of his own shined on his face. "Then the seal really is separate from you, at least for the most part. The katana is still technically an extension of you, but it's acting almost like a barrier between you and the seal."

"Does the mean you can release me?" Yato blanched and Yukine rushed to clarify. "I mean, the seal, can you release me of the seal?"

Yato's face twisted and he stared down at the seal. "Release a shinki while they're in weapon form? I...I never heard of that. I'm not even sure it's possible."

Yukine gently patted his cheek, causing the god to look up. "But if it is possible and you release me right now, won't it only target the name on the katana?"

"I don't know." Yato appeared a little shook and the worry had yet to leave his face. "Like I said, I've never heard of this type of release before, and that might be for good reason."

"What do you mean?" He sensed Yato was thinking of something in particular.

"Names are what gods use to call and release a shinki from this form. That means if a god was able to release a shinki while they were a weapon or whatever, that shinki would lose their name, and wouldn't that mean there would be no way to change the shinki back? Without a name that could revert them, wouldn't that shinki be trapped as whatever object or creature they transformed into?"

Yukine grimaced at that disturbing thought, but shook his head. "Even so, that's not a problem in our case. I'll still have my name, just not the seal."

"But it's the _same_ name. If we're wrong and I release you of both names, you might be stuck like this and I don't know-"

"You're overthinking this." Yukine's calm timbre drew Yato out of his spiraling thoughts. "And even if it doesn't go right, I know you and everyone will find away to get me back. You always find another way, Yato."

His god stared at him and a quiet vulnerability overcame him for a second before it faded under a mask of calm. He nodded and placed the katanas on the ground before raising his hand. Yukine braced himself because he wasn't as sure as he wanted Yato to believe, but Yato wavered and Yukine realized his fear was being picked up by the god.

However, Yukine was scared and he didn't feel capable of tamping down on this fear, but Yato needed to understand that it was going to be okay.

"Go ahead, Yato." Yukine went unacknowledged by the god who was abnormally still with his hand held out before him. "No matter how this goes, I can promise you I won't ever forget you." Yato flinched and his eyes darted to Yukine, who sent a confident smile back. "It's like you said, my mind forgot, but my heart always remembered you. Hiyori was the same way when she came back to us although her memories were gone. Those memories were still inside her, just some place she couldn't reach on her own. Really, I think that's the case with everybody that meets you."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that you're unforgettable, Yato. Why else did I recognize you in that alleyway after Father sealed my memories? Even in the end when I was losing everything, I still remembered your name. So go ahead, Yato, because no matter what-"

Suddenly confident, Yato was speaking those words and his hand was flying into motion as he performed the releasing process.

"I'll never forget that I love you."

Yukine glimpsed a tear rolling down Yato's cheek as the seal shattered midair.

* * *

 **I had more fun with that last scene than I should have because Yato and Yukine are precious.**

 **Anyway, I'll see you guys anywhere from a week to a few days with the final chapter. Bye now!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to everyone who read this story till the very end. I appreciate all your following, favoriting, and reviews throughout! Now please enjoy this final chapter!**

 **Shishi- Yukine and Yato and their family bonds are precious because they're not perfect since despite how they drive each other crazy, they still love each other anyway and it's adorable :3**

 **I'd love to see Father's face when Yato finally destroys him X)**

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There was nothing.

Emptiness filled his veins as he breathed because nothingness was everywhere. The white void he resided in was everything and he was nothing but a speck of something in this vortex of nonexistence. Yukine sank down the funnel of nothingness and allowed himself to drift into its depths.

He was comfortable and content. There was no motive or desires in his heart to trouble him. Yukine was a blank sheet, an empty vessel. He was destined to remain here forever if only because he had no reason to leave.

So he thought until the whispers tickled his eardrums. The noise gave rise to interest within him because suddenly there was something in the nothing, but soon the whispers rose in volume and the sound grated on his nerves. A spark of desire to cover his ears grew within him, but his energy was depleted and merely twitching his fingers was a challenge. Despite his waning strength, Yukine managed to peel open his eyes. When nothing except unnatural darkness met him, fear stabbed through his chest and he threw himself up.

"H-Hello?" His whole body shook with exertion and fear, all traces of his former peace vanishing because the darkness was everywhere. The darkness was smothering him, he couldn't see, and he needed to get out of here _now_.

A light broke through the dark and Yukine shielded his eyes yet the light pierced through his palms and eyelids until his vision was overcome by light. Memories flooded into his head and Yukine was stunned for a long moment as his brain reconciled with this information.

The barrage of memories ended as the light faded and eager to make certain he was no longer trapped in darkness, Yukine lowered his hands and opened his eyes to see blurry colors merging together. However his eyesight quickly sharpened and now he took in the sight of people standing in an office.

"Y-Yato?" He gasped as he took in the alarming scene before him.

Yato was on his knees, collapsed over the katanas and shaking with what may have been silent sobs. Even more startling, his master was in this vulnerable state within what had to be Bishamon's home.

Emotional scenes were rare from Yato even within the privacy of their home, but his god was crying in Bishamon's place when said goddess was standing merely a few feet away. She and Kazuma, who stood beside her, were frowning. Bishamon's eyes were narrowed at Yato, but it wasn't anger coloring her eyes, no, wasn't that pity?

There was certainly sadness radiating from Kofuku who stood closer to Yato than Bishamon, but was still an arm's length away. The pink-haired goddess was hiding her face in Daikoku's arm and hugging her regalia's side. The shinki didn't mind his goddess, barely seemed aware of her, which was odd by itself. Yet it was clear Daikoku was upset and trembling a little as he stared down at Yato.

Yet the most telling sign that something was wrong here was Hiyori. She was crouched low and hugging Yato from the back, for once not red over their close proximity. Rather she was sniffling and doing her best to utter gentle words of comfort to the god despite her quivering voice.

Though worst of all, Yato was not responding to any of them. The god was completely bowed over and in the middle of an emotional breakdown, oblivious to anything but the weapons in his hands.

Yukine couldn't fathom what exactly was happening, but his master was hurting so he went to him. Quickly the shinki reached out to his god, but then he heard Yato croaking, "Revert, Yuki...revert, Yuki...revert," like it was a mantra, but he didn't get why Yato repeated it because already he was appearing behind the god while the katana faded in a flash of light.

Bishamon, Daikoku, and Kazuma were the first to see him and shock was their first expression when Yukine's eyes met theirs, but then this emotion melted into relief. He raised an eyebrow in their direction because he still didn't know what was going on here. Had he missed something?

It was then that Hiyori noticed their looks and spun around only to gasp at the sight of him. Yukine did not get what was happening and really wanted to understand, but Yato was his main concern. His god hadn't even noticed the katanas were gone or that Hiyori had stood up, but continued shaking and hiding his face from the world.

Yukine was aware there were eyes on him, and didn't enjoy having an audience during moments like this, but Yato needed him. So gently he grasped Yato's shoulder while crouching low. "Yato?" His worry bled through the last syllable and his heart thumped in anticipation.

Yato's shoulder tensed under his hand and Yato inhaled sharply before becoming unnaturally silent.

Now outright concerned, Yukine gently called out for his master again but was unprepared for the god to twist around so fast he must have gotten whiplash and nearly sent Yukine flying until his hand caught the regalia's wrist.

His amber orange met those bloodshot blue and Yato's grip crushed his wrist, but he had no breath to cry out with as Yato abruptly tackled him. They hit the floor with enough force to shake the nearby furniture and he choked a bit because Yato weighed more than he thought and was now crushing him.

"Yukine!" Yato shouted at deafening levels, and though Yukine tried to wheeze out a question or a command to stop Yato from squeezing him to death, his master was too busy shouting, "You're okay, Yukine! Yukine, you're okay! Yukineee!"

When Yato suddenly stood up with Yukine still trapped in his arms, the shinki finally found his breath, however, when the god had the nerve to suddenly rub his face against his like some stray cat begging for attention, the line was crossed. "I'm not Hiyori, you creep!" He freed his arm and smacked Yato without holding back, but unfortunately that only warded Yato off for a second.

Then the god was back to hugging the life out of him and had the nerve to pinch his cheeks affectionately and ruffle his hair in front of everyone. However, his arm was trapped again in Yato's death grip so he couldn't do anything while everyone watched the scene with wide grins. Kofuku and Hiyori even appeared to be crying happy tears, and why? Why was his god embarrassing him in front of _everybody_? It was enough to make Yukine consider throwing himself out the window -he'd also be content with tossing his bakagami out one.

"Would someone tell me what's going on here?" Yukine tried to shove himself away from Yato, but his god was resilient to all his attempts to break them apart and Yukine's body was sluggish so eventually he was forced to give up and allow Yato to hold him. Admittedly it was better to have Yato clingy than in the state he had found the god in a minute ago.

However, he soon noticed that the group around him was staring at him with slight frowns or mild surprise. Kazuma was the first to voice the elephant in the room and Yukine narrowed his eyes when he asked, "Do you remember us, have all your memories returned?"

He reeled back as much as he could in Yato's hold and his god suddenly quieted. He sensed Yato turning to him in expectation like everyone else. Yet Yukine swept his gaze across the room as if there was a hint somewhere that would tell him this was all a very weird dream.

When no hints appeared, Yukine asked, "What type of question is that?" He gazed around the room again in total puzzlement. "My memory is fine." His tone soured. "I'm not old like Yato who happens to forget that stealing my money is a crime." Yato made an offended sound at that, but everyone else portrayed various degrees of confusion.

Hiyori took a step forward. "Don't you remember the seal?"

"Seal?" Yukine cocked his head, feeling a mix of mounting frustration and uncertainty.

"Aw, Hiyori, it doesn't matter." Yato interrupted and shined a broad grin at Yukine who was still attempting to decipher what was happening. "My kid is back, we should be celebrating!" Yato finally released him after standing them up. Though the shinki was so lost about everything that he didn't get to appreciate being free. Especially since he only had a moment of freedom before Hiyori and Kofuku were both hugging him, which caused him to flush scarlet.

He tried asking again why everyone was acting like he had left and this was his welcome back party, but Kofuku and Hiyori were exclaiming how glad they were that he was alright and Yato was badgering Bishamon into letting him have a party here. Of course that didn't go over well and Bishamon was ordering Yato to leave her premises, but his god was being his obtuse self and was now trying to convince Kazuma to grab them some beer and for Daikoku to get cooking in the kitchen. Kazuma seemed more than a little uncomfortable with the request and looked like he was debating simply leaving Yato and Bishamon to their argument while Daikoku was merely annoyed.

On the other hand, Yukine was lost. Everyone but him had lost their mind and he couldn't take it anymore so when the women released him, he marched over to Yato. The god turned to him with that silly grin and Yukine was ready to give him a mouthful because it was starting to freak him out how strange everyone was acting, but before he could Yato had drew Yukine into his arms for another hug.

"Welcome home!" Yato smiled and his eyes were bright while Yukine was flustered and confused. However, something about being welcomed home made his heart flutter. Whatever had happened, Yukine remembered this longing to go home, remembered being so sad he couldn't go back. Yet here in Yato's arms, Yukine tentatively smiled because Yato was right. He was home as long as he could be with Yato.

* * *

After they got back to Kofuku's place it was Hiyori who finally explained what had happened to him. It sounded crazy, but he saw the calendar and realized two days' worth of memories were in fact missing. Though that was a lot better than losing all his memories, which he'd been on the verge of doing yesterday. That or being trapped in weapon form, which Yato had feared had happened after he destroyed the seal only for Yukine to be unresponsive for nearly thirty minutes afterwards.

In desperation Yato had gone to Kofuku, but she had been unable to do anything and that led to him bursting into Bishamon's home in search of help. Yukine doubted the goddess would let Yato live that one down for a while. Then again, she probably understood how dire the situation had seemed so maybe she'd let it go.

Regardless, it was hard to believe such things had actually happened to him when he had zero memory of any events after Father sealed his memory.

At least he did until he went to sleep last night and been plagued by nightmares of him attacking his god, Nora's taunts about Yato releasing him, and being unable to recognize Hiyori. He had woken up at least four times throughout the night, heart beating wildly and the disquieting sensation of being empty -being lost in total oblivion- haunting him. Yet Yato happened to be awake every time because the god was supposedly reading some book -he was sure Yato was actually fretting over him all night- and soothed him with kind words.

Though Yukine noticed Yato's hesitance to near him until Yukine spoke the god's name. This disturbed him since Yato normally disregarded his personal space yet now seemed painfully aware of it, as if he thought Yukine was afraid of him. This also made him feel guilty. Especially when he woke up this morning and saw fear lurking behind Yato's morning greeting until Yukine said his name and the god audibly sighed in relief.

He couldn't imagine how much it hurt the god to have his own shinki forgot him, and while it wasn't really Yukine's fault, he couldn't help but think that maybe he could have done something to stop Father from sealing his memory.

Speaking of which, Yukine should have considered himself fortunate Yato wasn't avoiding him like he had Hiyori after Father attacked her family's hospital. Then again, as god and shinki, being apart for an extended amount of time wasn't the wisest course for Yato. Though Yukine seriously wished everyone would stop hovering around him. Yato, Hiyori, and even Kofuku to an extent hadn't given him room to breathe since he woke up and it was starting to become too much.

Thankfully he found an excuse to leave the house when Kofuku handed him the flower he had asked her for days ago and it suddenly struck him that Father had interrupted him before he could finish planting it in front of Suzuha's tree. Now he was four days late, which was why Yukine was heading to the tree now after managing to lose his overprotective god somewhere in the city traffic.

Yukine strolled down the sidewalk, smiling when the treetop came into view, but halting when he sensed eyes on him. He instantly pulled up his free arm in the ready position and cradled the potted flower close to his chest with the other as he spun around to face Father.

"I bet you think this over, that you've somehow beat me." Father looked amused by the concept and his tone was light while he causally stuffed his hands into his pockets. Yukine was not fooled and glared at Father, unwilling to let his guard down this time -he'd learn his lesson.

"But I have time, _plenty_ of time, and now that I've properly warned you, I don't feel the need to hold back anymore." Father smirked, even leaning forward ever so slightly so he was closer to Yukine's eye level.

Yet Yukine narrowed his eyes, swallowing down his trepidation before it could make a conspicuous appearance. "Don't you remember what I said? Nothing is going to keep me away from Yato so you can try whatever you want, we'll _always_ find a way to stop you."

Father's face went blank and Yukine's muscles tightened in preparation for an attack. Yet Yato's father only raked his eyes over Yukine's figure, and the regalia fought not to fidget until Father's assessment was complete and those red orbs met his orange.

Father's lips quirked up in something meant to be a smile, but was too vicious to come off as one. "I'll see you around, Yukine."

He twitched as his name was soiled by Father, but managed to hold his ground as the man turned and left. He cautiously lowered his arm once Father was out of sight and after a minute of peace, Yukine forced his muscles to relax and his heartbeat to slow. Father was scary, Yukine could admit that, and the power he wielded was intimidating. There was nothing he could do to stop Father when he wasn't even sure what the man was planning, but Yukine had faith he and Yato could overcome whatever Father or Nora threw at them so he let those worries drift away as he arrived in front of the tree.

It wasn't hard to plant the single flower in the soil since he had softened and cultivated the dirt around the tree for events just like this. He dug a small hole in the dirt, eased the flower out its plastic pot, massaged the roots, and gently inserted the plant in. After making sure the soil covered the flower up to its stem, Yukine stood and dusted his now dirt-stained hands. He admired the pink freckles on the flower's white petals and took a second to reflect on Suzuha -his friend.

There was a tiny ache echoing in his chest at the memory of the shinki, but remembering Suzuha didn't hurt like it used to. Anger cropped up for a second because of the injustice of Suzuha's death, and Father's role in it was fresh in his mind, but there was nothing that could be done about that now.

The sound of boots crunching on grass interrupted his peace and he turned to see Yato arriving behind him. However, the god remained silent, not even sparing Yukine a glance as he stared up at the cherry tree, before gently asking, "It's the anniversary, isn't it?"

Yukine nodded. "It was four days ago." There was no point in lying, Yato knew he paid his respects every month. In fact, maybe Yato wasn't the only one who knew about this habit of his. Perhaps Father had noticed his routine and had been waiting for him the night he sealed his memories.

He didn't want to think about how Father may have been stalking him though, so he continued. "The flower is a spring beauty, an ephemeral flower. I asked Kofuku to get some for me, but she probably had trouble finding a single one since this type of flower dies around this time of year."

He didn't look over to Yato, but the god made a small noise of approval and Yukine softly smiled. He thought the flower was fitting because it resembled his friendship with Suzuha. The flower wouldn't live long, but it would be beautiful while it lasted. Gone but not forgotten.

They lingered in solemn silence for a couple of minutes and then left the tree to begin the journey home. Yukine was still exhausted since he didn't really get sleep last night and he could tell this whole amnesia ordeal had taken a toll on Yato as well.

He gave his master a side-eyed glance and noted how the god's eyes were dim and he wasn't walking with all the enthusiasm of a hyperactive child, which was a telling sign that Yato was exhausted. Once more guilt pricked him and Yato stiffened beside him so he was quick to have his say. "I'm sorry I forgot you," he kept his gaze on the ground, uncomfortable but figuring Yato deserved an apology. "I know it must have been hard dealing with me when I couldn't remember you."

He was certain it hurt Yato deeply for him to have forgotten the god, probably more than it hurt Yukine. For Yato, gods in general really, being remembered was his lifeline, the thread that kept him tethered to existence. Hiyori forgetting him had certainly hurt the god, but she was human and in a way, it was to be expected that she would forget. However, a shinki forgetting Yato, his own hafuri at that, was a new level-

Yato chuckled and Yukine's head snapped up to see his god was sunny as ever. "You don't have to feel guilty about that." He opened his mouth to protest, but Yato clapped him on the back and cut him off. "You didn't forget me." Yato stopped walking and Yukine did too when his master leaned over to tap a finger over Yukine's chest. "It's like you said, your mind forgot me, but your heart didn't."

"I-I said that?" He blinked and his mouth parted in awe.

Yato nodded with a happy hum. "Yup, you said you'd never forget you love me."

"WHAT?!" Yukine's eyes widened and he stared at Yato's face, searching for a hint of deceit because he hadn't, _couldn't have_ said that aloud.

However, Yato continued to nod and his blue eyes were alit with mirth, but that was a sincere smile on his face. And that...that meant he really had said that!

His cheeks burned and he wanted to flee because he must have been delusional to have actually told Yato that. His face grew hotter when Yato started laughing, but his god's merriment triggered his anger and he growled before smacking Yato.

The god yelped while Yukine shouted, "That's not what I meant, stupid! I was, um, probably trying to say even if I wanted to forget you, I can't." He crossed his arms in a huff.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Yato's indignant reply came instantly.

Yukine, eager to change the topic, ignored him. "And don't think I haven't noticed you've been slacking on your ayakashi quota."

Yato nearly fell over in shock while Yukine walked on ahead. "That's not my fault! I had an amnesiac kid on my hands, there was no time for jobs!"

Yukine, unimpressed, scowled back at Yato. "If you're going to make excuses, maybe we should start working on that quota right now."

Yato's eyes grew watery and he wailed while latching on to Yukine. "Why are you so mean to me? I thought you loved me-"

"Do you want your quota to double tomorrow?" Yukine threatened darkly and Yato gasped in mock horror.

However when Yukine revealed no sign of sparing him, Yato cut the act and muttered sourly, "Why couldn't you forget about that?"

Yukine smirked without turning to the god beside him. "I never forget the important stuff." His smirk settled into a gentle smile.

Yato huffed at that, but Yukine spotted the god's barely concealed smile and the fragile hope in his sky blue eyes told Yukine he got the message. Yukine would never admit it, but he was glad his amnesiac self had told his master that, and it was nice to know that no matter what happened to them, Yukine would never forget his dear master Yato.

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 **This story was fun, but alas it's time to move on. I'm still overflowing with ideas for Noragami fics, it's just a matter of finding the time to write them (and not procrastinating on editing them) so I hope to see you guys in January when inspiration is sure to strike me again.**

 **Bye for now!**


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